Kanawao
Hydrangea arguta
Kanawao is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either strictly male or female, and it was long considered the sole member of its own unique genus, Broussaisia.
- Scientific name
- Hydrangea arguta
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Cornales › Hydrangeaceae › Hydrangea
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Montane wet forests and rain forest understory, typically between 300 and 1,800 meters elevation.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, drawing nutrients and water from rich volcanic soils).
- Range
- Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Hawaii Island
- Size
- Shrub or small tree, typically 1.5 to 6 meters (5 to 20 feet) tall.
- Lifespan
- 25-50 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat degradation by feral ungulates like pigs and goats, and competition with aggressive invasive plant species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely observe and photograph this beautiful native plant from established hiking trails. Avoid stepping on its shallow root systems and clean your boots before and after hiking to prevent spreading invasive pathogens.
Photo: Kevin Faccenda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/303a3656-7681-41df-b8dd-746cedc6b751.md