Covered with Fig Leaves

Aloha, Steemit. We have clouds and some showers today. In Hawaii, the air usually is about 80 degrees or more, rain or shine. The island is paradise even in a rainstorm. It is that combination of rain and sun that brings rainbows and they are a symbol of Hawaii.

Let us think about figs. Figs are the fruit of the day. There are many kinds of fig trees, some of them producing the edible fruit we know and like. The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve covered their figures with fig leaves. Figs grow in the tropics and also in some warm temperate climes.

Growing figs in the warm winter, maybe you are harvesting them now. I have seen figs in Hawaiian markets. But this fruit is not so widespread here as you may imagine. After all, we have papaya, mango, pineapple, atemoya, even mangosteen. So fig is not exotic, it is another fruit merely. Should you wish to grow it, plant even a cutting in moist soil and the tree will grow with no care.

Growing fig in Hawaii presents some danger of spreading the seeds. These trees grow very fast and large. They can tear up sidewalks and roads with their roots. Birds like the fruit and scatter the seeds. Some kinds of fig become invasive. At peak ripeness, the fruits are deliciously sweet and flavorful!

There is the kind of fig tree also that does not produce fruit and it is known as Ficus. The word ficus is the genus for fig tree and common name for this plant. This ficus plant that many grow as a houseplant is related to the edible kind.

One ficus tree grows near Alii Cove in south of Kailua and has become famous. At first, the man who grows it was not popular with the power company, which asked him to trim it. So trim it he did: into a square shape. The tree looks like a box.

And inside the box he built a tree house for his grandchildren. People come from far and wide to stop and see his famous fig tree house. The tree house is covered with fig leaves except at the top, where there is a hole to watch the stars!

News: http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/beautiful-simple-story-lunapule-treehouse
Tree house photos from that link. Fig photo (CC @Fir0002): https://commons.wikimedia.org