Maui is home to lovely beaches, a calm and regal lifestyle, lush tropical forests, and mountains. High atop the 10,000 foot volcano Haleakala is the Argyroxiphium sandwicense subspecies, macrocephalum. What? The silversword; a rare plant from Asteraceae. That’s not in a galaxy far far away.
The silversword calls Maui’s Mt. Haleakala home. Certain times of the year, the silversword can be seen dotting the drive up the mountain, somewhere around 7,000 feet to the summit.
Hawaiian’s called the silversword ʻāhinahina, which means very gray. Or, silver on a sunny day.
Silversword leaves are covered with a rough silver hair, but are not indigenous to Maui’s dormant volcano. Silverswords prosper on volcanic cinder with cold temperatures and high winds. The plant can live for many decades.
