silversword
Silversword is showy plant restricted to summits of high elevation. I've only seen it on Haleakala on Maui. There is another species of silverword on the Big Island. When it flowers, it is spectacular as grows to heights taller than humans.
Background Information
This species of silversword is known as the Haleakala Silversword and is restricted to the crater within Haleakala. I've seen it on the Sliding Sands trail. The Hawaiian name is 'ahinahina and the scientific name is Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum. These plants grow in dry conditions with silver thin leaves. The thin leaves look like swords sticking out of the plant. The plants were once endangered due to animals grazing and non native plants. The flowers are showy, but bloom only once in its lifetime. The plant however can live up to 90 years old.
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