Tired of Norfolk pines? A new variety of Hawaii-grown Christmas trees is available.
By Mariah Mellor
It took five years – from test pot to harvest – for a new variety of local Christmas trees to be available this holiday season from Helemano Farms.
The Leyland Cypress, a popular tree usually grown in the U.S. South, is fuller compared to Helemano’s Norfolk pines. “We planted 15 varieties of trees, about 100 to 400 of each variety, and only the Leyland survived,” says Aaron O’Brien, Helemano’s owner.