# 'āHinahina (*argyroxiphium sandwicense*)

The 'āHinahina, also known as the Mauna Kea or Haleakalā silversword, is an extraordinary, iconic plant endemic to the high-altitude volcanic slopes of Hawaii. This stunning member of the sunflower family grows as a dense, globe-like rosette of glittering silver leaves for decades. At the end of its life, it undergoes a spectacular transformation, sending up a massive flowering stalk up to two meters tall draped in hundreds of maroon-colored blossoms. This dramatic event occurs only once, after which the plant disperses its seeds and dies, completing its monocarpic life cycle.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Found in alpine cinder deserts and dry subalpine shrublands on high-elevation Hawaiian volcanoes.

!['āHinahina](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/219089/medium.jpg)

Photo: David Eickhoff, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/219089)

## Appearance

This species forms a striking, spherical rosette of rigid, sword-shaped leaves that are densely covered in woolly, silver-white hairs. The silvery sheen is highly reflective, giving the plant a metallic, almost glowing appearance against dark volcanic rock. When mature, it produces a single, towering central stalk adorned with 100 to 500 flower heads, each featuring purplish-red ray florets surrounding a yellow center.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Argyroxiphium

## Interesting facts

- Its Hawaiian name, 'āHinahina, refers to its beautiful silver-gray color.
- The plant's reflective leaves are so efficient that they can focus sunlight inward toward the plant's core to keep it warm in freezing alpine temperatures.
- Though it can live for nearly a century, the plant flowers exactly once and dies immediately after setting its seeds.

## Special abilities

- **Silver Sunscreen:** The dense layer of silver hairs on its leaves reflects intense high-altitude ultraviolet radiation and reduces moisture loss.
- **Volcanic Anchor:** A robust, shallow lateral root system combined with a strong taproot stabilizes the plant in loose, shifting volcanic cinder.
- **Monocarpic Bloom:** It concentrates decades of stored energy into a single, massive reproductive event to maximize pollination success before dying.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 30-200 cm
- **Weight:** 2-15 kg
- **Lifespan:** 20-90 years

## Diet & Feeding

As a photosynthetic plant, it generates its own energy from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water absorbed from the volcanic soil.

- **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon Dioxide, Water, Soil Nutrients

## Ecological connections

- **Mutualism:** Hawaiian Yellow-Faced Bee (*Hylaeus volcanicus*) — Pollinated by native Hawaiian yellow-faced bees, which assist in fertilizing the massive flower heads.
- **Eaten by:** Haleakalā Silversword Fly (*Tephritis cratericola*) — The larvae of this endemic fly feed on the seeds and flower heads of the silversword, reducing its reproductive yield.
- **Eaten by:** [Sheep](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sheep) (*Ovis aries*) — Introduced domestic sheep heavily browsed and decimated native populations of silverswords before exclusion fences were built.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify 'āHinahina?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is 'āHinahina?

30-200 cm

### How much does 'āHinahina weigh?

2-15 kg

### How long does 'āHinahina live?

20-90 years

### What does 'āHinahina eat?

As a photosynthetic plant, it generates its own energy from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water absorbed from the volcanic soil.

### Where is 'āHinahina usually found?

Found in alpine cinder deserts and dry subalpine shrublands on high-elevation Hawaiian volcanoes.

## Where to spot

- [Crater Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crater-historic-district) — Hawaii, US · Historic District
- [Enchanted Floral Gardens of Kula](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/enchanted-floral-gardens-of-kula) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Kula Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kula-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Mauna Kea Ice Age Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mauna-kea-ice-age-reserve) — Hawaii, US · Nature Reserve

[View all places to see 'āHinahina](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/%C4%81hinahina)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: ['āHinahina: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/%C4%81hinahina)