GOLDEN HOUR -

mo‘o (gecko) perspective looking up University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, O‘ahu

A gold tree in full bloom is seen in the early morning on the University of Hawai‘i campus in Honolulu. The scientific name of the tree is Tabebuia Donnel Smithii, and Dr. William Hillebrand, the first house physician/surgeon at Queen's Hospital, is credited with introducing the tree to Hawai‘i before 1871. It was adopted as a reforestation tree but soon became popular in landscaping. It is known in Hawai‘i as the gold tree, its common name in other countries, primavera ("first spring" or "early spring"), hints at the unique timing of its burst of blooms, timing that can vary.