ʻĀhinahina
Achyranthes splendens var. rotundata
Although the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi name for this plant is not historically known, it is often referred to today as ‘Ahinahina, Hinahina or Hinahina Ewa. The reason for these names primarily has to do with its color. In Hawaiʻi, many plants that are silvery in color are called hinahina or have the word hinahina in its name.
This ‘ahinahina is very silvery in color, has soft rounded leaves and can reach a height of about six feet tall. Its flowers (called spikelets) are arranged on soft spikes that protrude six to fourteen inches above the plant. They are very eye-catching and attractive in a unique way.
Aʻole nō i paʻa ka inoa kahiko no kēia lāʻau. Kapa pinepine ʻia ma kēia mau lā ʻo ʻĀhinahina, Hinahina a Hinahina ʻEwa paha ma muli o ka hinahina o nā lau me nā pua. Ma Hawaiʻi nei, ʻano nui nā mea kanu i kapa ʻia he hinahina ma muli o ia hinahina o ka lau.
ʻAno poepoe nā lau o kēia ʻano ʻāhinahina. I kekahi manawa, ʻeono kapuaʻi o kēia lāʻau. ʻOiʻoi ke ʻano o kēia pua, a ulu aʻe i luna o ka lāʻau, ʻeono a ʻumikūmāhā ʻīniha ma luna aʻe. Hiehie nō ke nānā aku.
Naturally, this plant is extremely rare and today on O’ahu is restricted to the coastal coral plains of Kalaeloa near Ewa, hence the name Hinahina Ewa and the mid-elevation dry forest of Makaha Valley as well as out at Ka’ena pt. Its range was probably much larger in the past, but the habitat in which it evolved in, the native lowland dry forest, has been greatly impacted over the last 200 years. Today this endemic plant, like many of our other native plants found here and nowhere else in the world, is now recognized as an endangered species. Right now we are in the middle of doing a 14 acre restoration at Kalaeloa removing all of the alien plants like koa haole and kiawe and replacing them with the few remnant native plants still found there, one of which is this plant. In fact just yesterday with the help of 17 Kamehameha school students and 2 teachers we were able to out plant over 1400 native plants, 800 of them being ‘ahinahina.
Kākaʻikahi nō ka ʻāhinahina i kēia au e holo nei. Ma Oʻahu, ʻo ke kapa kai o Kalaeloa, ma ka wao ʻano maloʻo o ke awāwa o Mākaha, a ma ka lae ʻo Kaʻena wale nō e ulu ai kēia lāʻau. Ua ulu a laha paha ma ka wā kahiko, a ma muli o ka pilikia ʻana o ia mau wahi e ulu ai, ua pilikia hoʻi ka ʻāhinahina i nā makahiki he 200 i hala iho nei. E like me ka hapa nui o nā lāʻau ʻōiwi o kēia pae ʻāina, ma Hawaiʻi nei wale nō e ulu ai kēia mea kanu. A i kēia wā, ʻike ʻia ka ʻāhinahina ma ke ʻano he lāʻau ʻane nalowale loa. I kēia wā, ke mālama nei mākou i kekahi wahi ma Kalaeloa, he ʻumikūmāhā ʻeka. Ma laila e huki ʻia ana nā lāʻau haole a pau e laʻa ke koa haole me ke kiawe, a kanu hou ʻia ana nā lāʻau maoli o ia wahi. ʻO kēia kahi o ia mau lāʻau. Ma kekahi o ia wā e kanu hou ana i nā lāʻau ʻōiwi, ua hele mai kekahi mau haumāna mai ke kula ʻo Kamehameha, he ʻumikūmāhiku o lākou, a hele pū ʻelua kumu aʻo. Ma ia lā, ua kanu ʻia he 1400 lāʻau ʻōiwi, he 800 o lākou he ʻāhinahina.
The spikes and new leaves of this plant are used in Wili and Haku Lei.
Wili ʻia nā pua a me nā lau o ka ʻāhinahina i loko o nā lei wili me nā lei haku.
‘Ahinahina love full sun just as mentioned above, all the plants that are called hinahina are silvery in appearance, this is an evolutionary adaptation to living in extremely sunny and/or hot areas. The silvery color is usually derived from tiny hairs that cover the surface of the leaves to reflect intense sunlight keeping the plant from losing excess moisture. When watering the plant, its best to soak the ground and then let it dry out for a couple of days before watering again, watering less as the plant becomes established. Too much water and/or shade will result in the plant becoming more green looking and not so silvery. This can also “soften” the plant making it more desirable for pests like mealy bugs and scales.
‘Ahinahina can also be pruned or chopped back if it gets larger than desired, but it will form a naturally round shape on its own. Plant it near dark backdrops like green or red ti leaves or lava rocks to really show off its silvery appearance. Also, make sure that there aren’t a lot of ants in the area as they may bring mealy bugs that attack this plant. If you notice them on your plant, then simply cut the affected area off and control the ants using granular pesticide.
E aho e kanu ʻia ka ʻāhinahina i ka lā. ʻO ke kumu o ka hinahina o ia mau lāʻau hinahina a pau, ʻo ia kekahi hiʻohiʻona ikaika i hoʻoili ʻia mai nā kūpuna o ia mau lāʻau. He hiʻohiʻona e ikaika ai kēia mau lāʻau ma nā ʻāina wela i pā nui ai ka lā. ʻO ka maʻamau, he mau huluhulu liʻiliʻi ko nā lau a ʻo ia ka mea e hinahina ai ka lāʻau ma o ke kūpī ʻana i ka lā no ka mālama ʻia ʻana o ka wai o loko. Ma ka hāinu ʻana i kēia lāʻau, e hoʻopulu i ka lepo a waiho no kekahi mau lā i maloʻo hou ai ka lepo. Ke paʻa ka lāʻau, ʻaʻole pono ka hāinu nui. Ke pulu mau ka lepo, e ʻōmaʻomaʻo ana ka lāʻau, ʻaʻole nō mōakāka ka hinahina, a laila, lilo i lāʻau ʻono i nā mū.
Hiki ke hoʻēmi ʻia ka ʻāhinahina inā nui ka lāʻau e like ʻole me ka makemake, akā, e poepoe ana kona nui kino ke nānā ʻole ʻia. E kanu i mua o nā mea uliuli, e laʻa ke kī ʻōmaʻomaʻo a ʻulaʻula a i ʻole nā pōhaku pele no ka hōʻike pono ʻana i kona ʻano hinahina. Eia hou, e akahele i nā naonao o lawe mai auaneʻi lākou i nā mū nāna e ʻai i kēia lāʻau. Inā ʻike ʻia lākou ma ka lāʻau, e ʻoki i ka māhele i pilikia, a kāohi i nā naonao ma o ka lāʻau pepehi naonao.