Hinahina

A striking silver shrub common on the cinder slopes and recent lava flows around Mauna Kea and the saddle region. The leaves are covered with small, silvery hairs giving the plant a silvery hue that is quite a contrast to the dark volcanic rock on which it is commonly found. The ground around the plant is often littered with these silvery leaves adding to the effect.

Native to the Hawaiian islands, Geranium cuneatum ssp. hololeucum is a member of the geranium family and is the only geranium to feature a woody structure. The plant is common on recent lava flows and cinder found at the upper margin of vegetation on the mountain.

A small shrub, most of the specimens I have seen are one to two feet high and a few feet in diameter. The leaves are ovate with linear veins and a forked tip.

The name is partially shared with the silversword found higher on the mountain, as hinahina means silver in Hawaiian. Several silvery plants share the common name hinahina across the islands. I prefer the name ʻāhinahina for the silversword and reserve hinahina for this pretty little geranium.