Located in Maui County, Hawaii, Tropical Gardens of Maui is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Wailuku, about 3.1 km (1.9 mi) away (Tropical Gardens of Maui lies WSW of town).
Tropical Gardens of Maui was a 4-acre (1.6 ha) commercial nursery with botanical garden, located at 200 Iao Valley Road, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii. The gardens were open daily without charge. The gardens were established in 1987, and are located in a valley floor at approximately 800 feet (240 m) elevation. Plants were labeled with botanical name, common name, and country of origin. Representative plants included: a large variety of palms, including Archontophoenix, Areca, Arenga, Attalea cohune, Carpoxylon, Caryota, Chamaedorea, Clinostigma, Dypsis, Euterpe, Hyphaene, Licuala, Marojejya, Masoala, Mauritiella, Pelagodoxa, Phoenicophorium, Pinanga, Ptychosperma, Raphia, Ravenea, Wallichia; cycads, including Bowenia, Cycas, Dioon, Encephalartos, Lepidozamia, and Zamia; fruit trees, including Anacardium occidentale, Averrhoa carambola, Chrysophyllum cainito, Casimiroa edulis, Clausena...From the Wikipedia article “Tropical Gardens of Maui”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tropical Gardens of Maui 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 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 87° in summer but only 46° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 65° ENE | 7:11 PM | 296° WNW | 87° | 13h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 115° ESE | 5:51 PM | 245° WSW | 46° | 10h 52m |
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 | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 00m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 28m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:08 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 13h 08m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 24m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 17m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 51m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:52 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:25 PM | 11h 41m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:09 PM | 11h 09m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 52m |
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 Tropical Gardens of Maui, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 40° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:18 PM – 4:18 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:34 PM – 4:14 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:34 PM – 2:54 AM | 6.3 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:15 PM – 12:45 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:44 PM – 10:44 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 8:47 PM | 1.5 | 27° | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.31 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 64 | 62 | 63 | 65 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 69 | 66 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Tropical Gardens of Maui, closest first.
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National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Tropical Gardens of Maui?
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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.