Aloha Helga,
If you mean you want to buy orchids here in Hawaii and take back to the mainland with you make sure the nursery or wherever you buy them from has an agric certificate on it. And they do sell some very tiny plants at the airport that have been inspected. Tell the nursery/orchid farm, etc, you will be bringing them back to the u.s. and they know what to do. The orchid farms here ship to the U.S mainland every day. You will just have to let the Ag people at the airport know what you have. No biggie!
Have a great trip, when are you coming??
Aloha, Melanie

Aloha Melanie,

I'll be arriving in November to stay 2 weeks. Can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this trip! "Garden paradise" they say. We'll stay on Oahu 3 days, the rest on Kauai. What can you tell me about your beautiful island?

I am an avid gardener, but turned my interest toward orchids a year ago, so my collection is still small. Yes, I would like to bring a plant or two back with me, if possible. You sound confident, that's a good thing!
While I have your ear, may I ask why my white ginger is not blooming? It is sitting under dabled shade,(temps are 85-95 deg. during the day. 56-62 at night) is 4 ft. tall, plenty of leaves. It sported 2 buds earlier this year, but they would not open fully, only one little flower popped open in each bud, then the bud dried up.
Thanks for responding.

Helga 1, those white gingers (Hedychium sp.) require lots of water, they should never be allowed to get dry while in growth. In Hawai`i, you see them growing right to the edge of streams or in wet ditches.

Aloha again Helga, maui4me is probably correct. They do need lots of water. Have you fed it? It does sound like a water issue if it set buds but they dropped off. I have mine in partial sun and it does well here. We do get lots of rain in my area though so it never dries out.

Oahu has lots of beautiful things to see and do. You must get out of Waikiki to get a true appreciation for this island though. some of the best beaches are Lanikai, Kailua and Waimanolo beach all on the windward side. Foster's botanical gardens and Audobon's Waimea Falls Park is also a must-see for a plant lover. We also have many orchid farms,
climbing Diamond Head is a must, oh, there is just so much!
Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful time!

Aloha Helga. Hope you enjoy your trip to Hawaii - I am sure you will. The Aloha spirit is magical. KL.

Hi Helga,
Get your orchids from the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (Flea Market) in Aiea on Oahu, Sat or Sun (the vendor is not there on Wednesdays). I brought home 2 chocolate scented orchids (3ft blooms) for only $12 each (normally $35-$40) and a white/greenish blooming phalenopsis for only $8 (normally $17-$25). I sailed through agricultural inspection (they saw the blooms and waived me through) and the flight attendant was kind enough to put it in an unused drink cart locker.
Have fun,
Hollyhocks
p.s. I also brought home to Ohio 50 cuttings of exotic trees after having them pre-inspected at the agricultural department at Sand Island on Oahu.

Don't worry about orchids. I bought some very nice ones at Lowe's and was given all sorts of warnings by everyone who saw them. I called the Ag department to be sure, they say orchids are fine as long as they are the kind that don't grow in soil. Most are grown in bark, or coconut coir which is fine. my flight attendant also stored them for me in one of the empty lockers in first class. Point is, don't get advice from locals, they will scare you into not buying the orchids.