Immersing visitors in W.S. and Paula Merwin’s garden
through visceral, multi-sensory experiences with nature
Private Visits to the Merwins’ Palm Garden
Note: this is a private property. Visits must be scheduled in advance with Merwin Conservancy staff. Mahalo.
Hike through one of the most extensive palm collections known to exist on earth, located in Maui’s north shore Pe‘ahi Stream valley. Lovingly restored by the hands of one of America’s greatest living poets W.S. Merwin and his wife Paula, the transformation of this once-barren and degraded land has inspired some of the most celebrated poetry of our time.
Now a lush, 18.8 acre palm garden, the Merwin property is home to over 2,740 individual palm trees, featuring more than 400 taxonomic species and 125 unique genera, with nearly 900 different horticultural varieties. A true “living collection”, these palms have been taxonomically identified, botanically tagged and extensively recorded in a database that can be accessed and searched online.
How Does it Work?
Morning visits are booked in advance via The Merwin Conservancy staff twice per month, on a first-come, first-served basis. By completing the request form below, you place your name in the queue for your desired dates. Two weeks before the scheduled Open Garden Day requested, you will learn if you have been placed in the program, or if you have been waitlisted.
Once booked into the program, your group will meet a public parking area in Ha’ikū, carpool to the Merwin Conservancy property, and begin the hike through the Valley. The entire experience takes about 3 hours, with driving time and breaks included. Hikes are led by Merwin Conservancy staff and/or docents, and include informal historical and botanical conversation, poetry readings, and quiet reflection time.
Please note: this is more of a hike than a walk. Participants must assess their own physical ability to take this hike with us, and must commit to exercising caution by staying on the trails, using the provided walking sticks, wearing sturdy shoes, and bringing drinking water.
Spring 2020 Schedule Update (All dates have been cancelled:)
The Merwin Conservancy is thoughtfully and carefully adhering to current public health mandates from the CDC, the State of Hawai‘i, and the County of Maui due to the presence of COVID-19 in our community. Therefore, we have cancelled the Open Garden Days program for the foreseeable future. We hope to re-launch this program as soon as it is safe to do so. Mahalo for your understanding at this challenging time of much change and uncertainty. Stay safe, everyone.
Want to help us relaunch our Open Garden Days and keep the program free for the general public? Make a donation to support our programs!
