Wikimedia Commons
Asteraceae
Haleakala Silversword
Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum
rarity.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Argyroxiphium
- Native to
- Hawaii (Haleakala, Maui)
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 3-6 feet (flower stalk)
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- volcanic cinder, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 10-11
- Lifespan
- monocarpic (flowers once, then dies)
Did you know
- The Haleakala silversword lives for 20 to 90 years but flowers only once before dying.
- It grows exclusively in the crater of Haleakala volcano on Maui at elevations above 7,000 feet.
- The silvery hairs covering the leaves reflect intense UV radiation and trap moisture from passing clouds.
- By the 1920s, the silversword was nearly extinct due to vandalism and feral goats, but conservation efforts have restored populations.
- When it finally blooms, the plant produces a spectacular stalk bearing up to 600 flower heads.
Color meanings
0
uniqueness
1
once-in-a-lifetime
2
endurance