Flower profile
'āhinahina
Argyroxiphium sandwicense
'āhinahina is a flowering plant. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in June–November.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Argyroxiphium sandwicense, the Hawaiʻi silversword, or hinahina is a species of silversword. It is endemic to Hawaii. The two subspecies are separated by geography. Both subspecies are rare, threatened and federally protected.Haleakala silversword is found on the mountain Haleakalā on the island of Maui at elevations above 2,100 m (6,900 ft). It is a federally listed threatened species.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Hawaii. NatureServe
- In Hawaii, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–November. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,255 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #13 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
'āhinahina gift ideas
Handmade 'āhinahina gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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'āhinahina art print
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'āhinahina greeting card
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'āhinahina mug
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'āhinahina earrings
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'āhinahina embroidery pattern
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'āhinahina sticker
When does it bloom?
In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in June–November.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G2 Imperiled worldwide. NatureServe
- Hawaii
- Variety listed Only Argyroxiphium sandwicense ssp. macrocephalum is on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (state threatened). NatureServe: S2, imperiled in Hawaii. HAR 13-107
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: Argyroxiphium sandwicense ssp. macrocephalum is on Hawaii's rare plant list (state threatened); NatureServe ranks it S2 in Hawaii. HAR 13-107 NatureServe
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records 'āhinahina in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Hawaii.
Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Maui.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ARSA5.
- iNaturalist, Argyroxiphium sandwicense: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Argyroxiphium sandwicense (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
- Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Argyroxiphium sandwicense (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Tuoichen via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.