Kawamoto Orchid Nursery: A hidden gem growing in Palolo Valley

News admin May 28, 2026 0 Comments

Kawamoto Orchid Nursery: A hidden gem growing in Palolo Valley

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Tucked into Pālolo Valley, down a narrow road off Waiomao Road, sits an orchid-growing operation with roots that go back generations.

Let’s go holoholo to Kawamoto Orchid Nursery.

“Started back with great grandpa, Patrick [Kawamoto],” said Brandon Yasuda, the general manager at Kawamoto Orchid Nursery. “It started as a hobby when he was young.”

That hobby eventually grew into a business in 1947. Over time, the family expanded and relocated the nursery from Mānoa to Pālolo—moving operations to its current home about 50 years ago, in the 1970s.

“And eventually it got bigger and bigger and then he moved everything here,” Yasuda said.

The nursery remained a family-run operation through the decades. Yasuda said the business changed hands again in the mid-1980s.

“And then around ’85, my father-in-law and mother-in-law took it over,” he said. “And my brother-in-law was working here too.”

From one greenhouse to six

Kawamoto’s first greenhouse was built in 1986. Today, there are six structures on the property—spaces used for growing, showcasing, and shipping plants.

The nursery’s reputation also extended far beyond Hawaiʻi. Yasuda said Kawamoto orchids have been shown across the country.

“We used to do shows all over—Florida, New York—and there’s ribbons… all the awards,” he said.

A longtime workplace—and a point of pride

One of the nursery’s longtime employees, Ruben Namnama, has been there since the 1980s.

“So, until now… ’86 to 2026, so been working long, long time,” the worker said.

He said he learned the skills of orchid care on the job—knowledge passed down from the Kawamoto family.

“I, I don’t even know how to grow orchid before, but, second owner, Les Kawamoto, who teach me how to do the split, raise the plant, spray, everything,” said Namnama. “I do exactly that’s like in the Philippines when you work farm.”

More than orchids

While orchids are central to the nursery, it’s not the only thing growing there. Staff say visitors can also find a large selection of air plants, known as tillandsias.

“At the bottom, we have a pretty big selection of air plants,” Yasuda said. “Maybe… over 50 types of air plants.”

For customers, the drawing is simple: variety and quality.

“Because I like it here,” said customer, Mark Walker. “It’s nice. They have lots of variety.”

Keeping a legacy alive

For the team at Kawamoto Orchid Nursery, it’s more than just selling plants—it’s carrying on decades of work and family knowledge.

“There is a sense of pride that we put into the plants and everything that we do here,” Yasuda said.

Kawamoto Orchid Nursery is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s located along Waiomao Road in Pālolo Valley (look for the signs guiding you down the narrow road).