Hāhā, Hawaiian Lobelias

Hāhā describes the endemic lobelias that grow in the Hawaiian mountain rainforests. The Hāhā card shows three species of Lobelia: Lobelia gloria-montis, L. gaudichaudii, and L. oahuensis. Different species sometimes have multiple Hawaiian names. ʻŌpelu is another common name for Hawaiian lobelias.

Dozens of species of hāhā evolved from a common ancestor in the bellflower family. They all originated from a single colonization event around 13 million years ago. Interestingly, this was well before any of the main Hawaiian islands of today existed. Kaua‘i, the oldest main island, is only about 5 million years old.

The ancestor of the hāhā is thought to have arrived at what is now called the Gardner Pinnacles, Pūhāhonu in Hawaiian. This tiny islet is about 580 miles (950 km) northwest of Honolulu.

This islet is the remnants of what was once a large volcanic island located near where Hawai‘i island is today. 13 million years ago there was an archipelago of ancient island similar to the current Hawaiian Islands. The Hāhā ancestors lived in the wet parts of these ancient islands. Over time, the islands drifted toward the northwest and eroded away. New volcanic islands arose from the ocean floor to replace them.

The hāhā seeds were able to travel to new islands as the developed by drifting on the wind or hitchhiking on birds. The hāha was able to escape the fate of the vanishing islands and continue evolving and expanding their range.

The rare hāhā plants are adapted to specific habitats in the mountain rainforests of each island. They formed symbiotic relationships with the birds in their ecosystem. The showy flowers are often shaped to fit the beaks of specific birds. The birds pollinate the flowers and receive sweet nectar in return. Deforestation, and the extinction of many bird species, has left the hāhā struggling to persist in the wild.

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