The introduction of hooved animals on Maunakea in the late 1700s nearly brought the native plant to extinction. Now, more than 100 seedlings of silverswords are flourishing in the Center for Maunakea Stewardship’s greenhouse.
The University of Hawaiʻi reports that silversword seeds first sown at the CMS greenhouse at the Halepōhaku mid-level facility in February 2022 sprouted into more than 100 seedlings under the care of CMS staff and are currently 3-7 inches tall. Plans are to outplant the silversword in a fenced enclosure within the Maunakea Forest Reserve.