HONOLULU (HI Now) - Hawaiʻi is home to some of the most extraordinary botanical treasures on Earth, yet many native species now face critical threats with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild.
Through the University of Hawaii Hawaiian Rare Plant Program at Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, dedicated researchers work daily to rescue, study, and restore native flora so future generations can experience thriving island ecosystems.
Leading this vital mission is Dr. Neusa Steiner, who brings generations of family passion for nature and international plant physiology expertise to Mānoa Valley. Alongside Christian Fern, executive director of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, the team demonstrates how university faculty actively safeguard the local environment.
While the arboretum is widely celebrated for serene walking trails and community plant sales, its research facilities house over 65 million seeds and 45,000 micropropagated plants across approximately 175 botanical families.
Saving species that cannot survive standard cold seed storage requires groundbreaking techniques. Dr. Steiner and her team utilize advanced cryopreservation, freezing living plant tissues and embryos so they remain viable for more than a century. This breakthrough has proven crucial for native Loulu palms, which face severe destruction from the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle.
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By successfully cryopreserving Loulu embryos and nurturing young sprouts in specialized laboratories, scientists can safely reintroduce healthy plants into restored forest habitats across the islands.
To explore the research facilities or plan your visit to the gardens, check out Lyon Arboretum. You can also follow along with faculty initiatives on Instagram at @uhpafaculty.
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