Silversword Overview
Silversword is a rare native Hawaiian plant known scientifically as Argyroxiphium sandwicense. It is endemic to Maui's Haleakala and the Big Island's Mauna Kea regions, meaning it grows nowhere else in the world.
This high-altitude plant survives on volcanic mountains where sun, wind and temperature changes can be intense. Its silver leaves are covered with fine white hairs that help reflect heat and protect the plant from strong sunlight.
Silver Leaves, Rare Bloom and Hawaiian Name
Silversword blooms only once in its life, near the end of the plant's natural cycle. On average, silversword plants grow for about 12 years before flowering. Blooming season usually falls between June and November.
The bloom appears as a single tall spike that can reach up to 6 feet high and hold around 600 individual purple flowers. After flowering, the plant dies, which makes seeing a silversword in bloom especially memorable.
The name Argyroxiphium comes from words meaning silver and sword. The Hawaiian name is ahinahina, which means “gray gray,” a fitting name for its pale, silvery leaves. Related Hawaii plant and mountain pages include protea, Haleakala National Park, Mauna Kea and poinsettia.
