Photo. A silversword plant in Haleakalā National Park, located on the island of Maui, Hawaii, USA. © Travel Explorations.
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.
Sometimes the most powerful part of travel is not reaching a destination, but discovering something you didn’t even know was out there. The silversword was such a surprise. That moment when I stumbled upon this unique plant taught me something: we grow the most when we step into the unknown. Learning and experiencing new things often comes when we allow ourselves to be curious, even if we don’t know what we’re searching for.
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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