Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden is a botanical garden in Hawaii County, Hawaii. The nearest town is Captain Cook, about 1.2 km (0.7 mi) away (Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden lies ESE of town).
The Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden is a Hawaiian botanical garden near Captain Cook, Hawaii in the Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii. Undergoing a change in management, the gardens were closed to the public from 2016–2019. The garden is now operated by Friends of the Garden and is open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm, with free admission (accepting donations).From the Wikipedia article “Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 65° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 295° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 47° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:28 AM | 90° E | 6:35 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 65° ENE | 7:05 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:13 AM | 89° E | 6:21 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 115° ESE | 5:51 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 57m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:38 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 05m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 31m |
| March | 6:11 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:56 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:16 PM | 13h 03m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 18m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:30 PM | 13h 12m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 5:50 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:49 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:57 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:23 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:09 PM | 11h 13m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 58m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 42° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.5 | 42° | SE → S |
| May | 10:13 PM – 4:23 AM | 6.2 | 42° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:28 PM – 4:18 AM | 7.8 | 42° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:28 PM – 2:48 AM | 6.3 | 42° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:10 PM – 12:50 AM | 4.7 | 42° | S → SW |
| September | 7:41 PM – 10:51 PM | 3.2 | 39° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:15 PM – 8:55 PM | 1.7 | 28° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.56 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (62%). August is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 79 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 76 |
| Low °F | 50 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 53 | 50 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, closest first.
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VolcanoFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.