Indigenous and Endemic Plants Thriving on the South Shore
Recently, the Grove Farm team, led by Professor Brian Yamamoto of Kaua‘i Community College, took a walk along the historic Māhāʻulepū coastal trail.
The pristine Māhāʻulepū coastline is a unique environment. Its whipping sea salt winds, blistering sun, and dry season all year long generally make for a difficult place for plants to survive. But actually, many indigenous and endemic species have unique adaptations that allow them to not only survive, but thrive in that setting.
Grove Farm lands border the coastline that is open to the public, and our staff was eager to learn about the native plants in the area. Adaptations like water retention, the height they grow to protect themselves from the wind, and leaf colorations to reflect the sun allow these species to be comfortable in this harsh environment.
As we proceeded along the shore, Prof. Yamamoto pointed out plants like hinahina, ʻilima, naupaka kahakai, ‘akoko, and a sedge grass called mauʻu akiʻaki. We even spotted a family of nēnē geese and we saw fossilized land snails in the layers of sediment.
