Photo. A silversword plant in Haleakalā National Park, located on the island of Maui, Hawaii, USA.
Haleakalā National Park is located on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The park encompasses a dormant volcano, for which it is named, and extends from its summit down to the coastal Kipahulu District.
Out of the mist, a silversword appeared, glowing silver against the dark ground. It looked fragile, yet eternal - a plant that waited for decades to bloom once, then gives itself back to the wind. In that quiet and foggy desert, the silversword felt like a hidden treasure revealed only to me.
The shape of the silversword allow it to survive in hot, dry climates like the windy desert slopes of the crater. Silverswords live between 3 and 90 years or more - a symbol of survival. They flower once, rising a spectacular flowering stalk, and then die soon afterward, spreading drying seeds to the wind. But even with this care, a bigger challenge looms. The world is getting hotter, the rains less certain. And so this strange, shining plant - born for survival - may face a future it cannot endure.
For me, seeing a silversword in bloom was more than just a sight. It was a reminder: beauty can be fragile, survival is never guaranteed, and sometimes the rarest lives are the ones that shine the brightest.
Stein Morten Lund, 16th September 2025
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