Mint is an important culinary and medicinal herb, used by people world-wide for its strong aroma and taste. Hawai’i has four genera of native mint plants, two of which are endemic. During their long period of isolation from the world of man and beast, Hawaiian mints lost the defensive chemicals that give other mints their distinctive taste and smell. Since there were no grazing animals in Hawaii to eat them no chemicals were needed.
Fast-forward to our era, and we have grazing animals plus mints without defenses. That equals extinction. But in this gloomy saga of extinction, there are some bright spots, and here are two.
At the Brink: Haplostachys (honohono) is an endemic genus of mint known from all the islands. Four of its five species are extinct. The remaining species (Haplostachys haplostachya) had a wild population found only on the Big Island in areas bordered by Hualalai, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. These few populations are now fenced to protect them from predators. The Pohakuloa Training Area cares for over 90% of these plants, conserving their seeds for out-planting. Honohono was once found on Maui and Kaua’i; if conditions become more favorable, they may once again be found there.
Back from the Brink: Phyllostegia brevidens has an historic range of East Hawai’i Island and Kipahulu Valley on Maui. However, it had not been seen for a hundred years when it was rediscovered at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge by staff members. Baron Horiuchi, who was the horticulturalist at the Refuge, got to work and propagated over 1,000 plants of this mint which were subsequently out-planted in the protected forests of Hakalau. Other facilities are now also trying to keep this native plant alive.
If you are looking to identify mints, check for the characteristic square stem and opposite leaves. Our native mints are found in moist and dry climates, depending on the species, and are mostly easy to propagate. In Volcano, one of the more easily seen of the native mints is the vine-like Stenogyne calaminthoides which can be found in the protected areas of the park and local backyards.
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