Selected by the American Horticultural Society as the best natural botanical garden in America, the Limahuli Gardens remind today's visitor of Hawaii's past. The gardens, like the Allerton Estate, are now part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens. They use Limahuli Stream as a centerpiece and a multiple channel natural watering system that drops down the valley towards the ocean much as it did before Captain Cook arrived. Displays offer a look at native Hawaiian plants, now often endangered by introduced plant species or hungry pigs that eat everything. Additional sections cover introduced tropical plants and in particular, the fine flowers that make the Aloha state so colorful. Casual gardeners and tourists may want to plan a trip around a guided tour and a picnic. Compulsive gardeners should take the tour and then stay to examine the plants here in detail and at leisure. The big attractions here are the 750 to 1,000 year old system of lava rock taro terraces used to raise taro, a edible root crop that Hawaiians turn into a thick paste that reminds most Haoles of library paste. Take note of the interesting way the many channels of Limahuli Stream feed the varied gardens under the steep, scenic peak some call Bali Hai. It's technically Makana Peak, but photo magic turned it into Bali Hai when they filmed South Pacific here. Part of Jurassic Park was filmed in these exceptional gardens too.