hesperomannia oahuensis

(2026)

Hesperomannia oahuensis is an endangered plant found only in the Waiʻanae Mountains of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. It has beautiful, thistle-like flowers and usually makes its home in forests under ʻōhiʻa and koa canopy. Sadly this species is nearly extinct in the wild today due to shifting climate regimes, invasive species, disappearing populations of native bird pollinators, changing forests, and habitat degradation. Its fate rests in the hands of dedicated conservationists who work tirelessly to protect the health and longevity of this unique species.

I had the privilege of working with Hesperomannia oahuensis for several years — seeing its natural habitat, monitoring wild & reintroduced populations, hand-pollinating flowers, preparing seeds for storage, and propagating seedlings to plant back into the mountains. It has taken me a few years to make this print although I have long wanted to celebrate Hesperomannia. The tri-tone flowers with bright, vibrant colors resisted my early focus on black & white prints. It’s only now that I’ve begun adding more colors and experimenting with reduction prints that I feel like I can begin to do the beauty of the Hesperomannia flower some justice.

The decorations in this print are references to different parts of the flower’s anatomy. The lower corners are decorated with the long purple bracts that surround the base of the flower and fruit. Background starbursts recall the bracts of the dried fruit spreading in a radial pattern, and the long, full shape of healthy seeds.