Akatsuka Orchid Gardens opens “maze” of blooming beauties

Curiosity lured them inside — but Hawaiian Acres resident Glory Kirkland and daughter, Auralie, lingered through Akatsuka Orchid Gardens’ fragrant new orchid display Wednesday morning longer than they’d planned.

“The flowers are amazing,” said Glory, taking a whiff of the sweet-smelling air. “The ones that have fragrances, that to me, is a big plus … Especially because in the old days there weren’t many with fragrance. But it makes it more appealing.”

In March, after decades as predominantly a grower and seller, the longtime Volcano orchid farm decided to branch out. It added a new visitor attraction called the “Orchid Maze,” though it’s not a maze in the literal sense. Rather it’s a large-scale display meant as a year-round, mini-orchid show, company vice president Takeshi Akatsuka said.

The business hopes the “maze” will help draw both tourists as well as kamaaina and give folks a taste of the hundreds of orchid varieties the farm has hybridized over the years.

“It’s a change for us,” Akatsuka said during a Wednesday morning tour. “Our whole vision for this is, we wanted to create a better experience. Before, we were free and viewed as more of a retail store. People would come in and buy. We had a lot of people asking us to do this.”

The 8,000-square-foot “maze” is located inside Akatsuka Orchid Gardens’ current showroom space. It features more than 500 blooming orchid varieties including a $20,000 showcase orchid from Thailand, and chocolate-smelling varieties known as “Heaven Sent” and “Sharry Baby.”

There’s an area which displays orchids in their various growing stages, several interactive video stations and some picture-worthy spots including a large “Aloha” sign made out of orchids, a 24-foot bamboo wall and a mini zen garden.

Next month, the business is adding an activity center which will allow visitors to pot their own orchid.

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens invested about $15,000 to get the display up and running, Akatsuka said. The installation and set-up process required a 5-day closure in late February. Akatsuka says it’s well worth it — there’s currently no other orchid “maze” equivalent in the state, he said.

“We’re the only ones crazy enough to do this, to be quite honest,” Akatsuka said with a grin. “There’s a lot of maintenance that goes into it. It really takes a lot.”

The company has been around since 1974. Akatsuka’s father, Mori Akatsuka, opened that year as a cymbidium orchid farm, largely operating as a wholesale business selling cut flowers to distributors and florists.

Eventually, it shifted gears and began growing cattleya orchids which are showier and more fragrant. These days Akatsuka largely handles things on the business front while his father oversees grow operations.

The company has served the retail public since the 1980s. In 2000, it renovated an existing greenhouse into what’s now a showroom space for customers. It currently operates 10 greenhouses and has created more than 2,000 orchid varieties. It also dabbles in poha berry growing, which it uses to create and sell a custom ice cream. While some say the island’s orchid growing industry is shrinking, Akatsuka said the farm remains popular.

“When people come here, they’ll be able to see how many different types of orchids there really are,” he said. “Their whole impression [of orchids] might be different after seeing and learning about them.”

Around 300 people visit the farm each day, he said. On days when cruise ships arrive, the company can see nearly 1,000 visitors. At least 50 people visit the maze each day.

Kirkland and her daughter came at a good time Wednesday — they were the only ones meandering through the displays. They described the walk-through experience as relaxing.

“It’s soothing,” Auralie said. “It has a calming effect. The colors are calming to me, they catch my eye. This is a place to go and stop and think.”