Long-Foot Cyanea: A Critically Endangered Hawaiian Native Worth Knowing About
If you’ve ever wondered about Hawaii’s rarest native plants, let me introduce you to the long-foot cyanea (Cyanea dolichopoda) – a plant so rare it might already be gone forever. This isn’t your typical gardening post about how to grow because, frankly, you probably can’t. But stick with me, because this fascinating Hawaiian native has a story worth telling.
What Makes Long-Foot Cyanea Special?
The long-foot cyanea is a perennial shrub that belongs to Hawaii’s unique bellflower family. In its heyday, this multi-stemmed woody plant would reach heights of 13 to 16 feet, creating an impressive presence in Hawaii’s wet forests. Like many Hawaiian natives, it’s perfectly adapted to the islands’ unique climate and ecosystem.
Where Did It Call Home?
This endemic Hawaiian species was found exclusively in the Hawaiian Islands, where it thrived in the cool, moist conditions of native wet forests. These plants preferred the facultative upland areas – meaning they usually grew in non-wetland areas but could occasionally handle wetter conditions.
The Harsh Reality: A Conservation Crisis
Here’s where the story gets sobering. The long-foot cyanea has a Global Conservation Status of SH – which stands for Possibly Extirpated. In plain English, this means scientists know it existed historically, but it might be completely gone now. There’s still some hope for rediscovery, but it’s listed as Endangered in the United States.
What does this mean for gardeners? If you’re thinking about adding this plant to your garden, you’ll need to think again. Any cultivation should only be done with responsibly sourced material and as part of serious conservation efforts.
Why Should Gardeners Care?
You might wonder why we should care about a plant we can’t grow. Here’s the thing – the long-foot cyanea represents something much bigger than just one species. It’s part of Hawaii’s incredible native plant heritage, and understanding what we’ve lost helps us protect what’s left.
Hawaiian Cyanea species were historically important to the islands’ ecosystems, likely serving as food sources for native Hawaiian honeycreeper birds (many of which are also now extinct or endangered). This creates a cascade effect – when we lose plants like the long-foot cyanea, we also lose the wildlife that depended on them.
Growing Conditions (For Conservation Efforts)
If conservation efforts ever succeed in rediscovering or propagating this species, here’s what it would need:
- USDA Hardiness Zones 10-11 (tropical and subtropical climates only)
- High humidity and consistent moisture
- Partial shade with protection from strong winds
- Well-draining but moisture-retentive soil
- Cool temperatures typical of Hawaiian wet forests
What Can Native Plant Enthusiasts Do?
While you can’t plant long-foot cyanea in your garden, you can still make a difference:
- Support Hawaiian native plant conservation organizations
- If you live in Hawaii, plant other native Hawaiian species to support local ecosystems
- Learn about and share the stories of endangered plants like this one
- Consider growing other Cyanea species that are still available (with proper sourcing)
The Bigger Picture
The story of long-foot cyanea is a reminder of how fragile our native plant communities can be. While we can’t turn back time, we can learn from these losses and work harder to protect the native species that remain.
Whether you’re gardening in Hawaii or anywhere else, choosing native plants for your landscape is one of the best ways to support local ecosystems and prevent future extinctions. Every native plant we grow is a small act of conservation – and that’s something the long-foot cyanea would definitely approve of, if it could.
