Kauaʻi island-aster

Kauaʻi evidence

Accepted status, Kauaʻi occurrence, nativity, growth form, and names were audited against the 2026 Smithsonian checklist and linked habit source. No scientific synonym was listed in the reviewed census source.

Names and classification

Scientific name

Hesperomannia lydgatei

Other names

Hesperomannia lydgatei · Kauaʻi island-aster

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Recorded on Kauaʻi

Origin

Endemic

Conservation status

Smithsonian checklist assessment: Endangered; U.S. status: Endangered

Evidence date

2026-10-05

Evidence limits

Island-level occurrence is retained; finer locality is intentionally withheld

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Lowland wet forest

Food and resource needs

Light, water, nutrients, and suitable habitat substrate

Reproduction

Viable flowers or seed and suitable establishment conditions; species-specific reproductive review remains open

Shelter

Suitable native vegetation structure and substrate

Growth form

Tree

Threats and conservation

Threats

Species-specific threat review pending; no fine-location evidence is published in this card

Conservation actions

Protect native habitat and verify species-specific actions against current conservation sources

Monitoring

Taxonomic identity, population condition, recruitment, and locally documented pressures; exact locations withheld

Data gaps

Species-specific ecology and threat citations · Reproductive phenology · Fine-scale habitat information intentionally not published

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Not assessed

Seasonal description

Kauaʻi island-aster (Hesperomannia lydgatei) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

Sources and further reading

• https://doi.org/10.5479/si.32124043
• https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/hawaiianflora/speciesdescr.cfm?genus=Hesperomannia&species=lydgatei
• https://www.fws.gov/species/kauai-island-aster-hesperomannia-lydgatei
• https://ntbg.org/database/herbarium/detail/PTBG1000042367
• https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/hawaiianflora/genusdescr.cfm?genus=Hesperomannia

Explore field guides

• Native Trees of Kauaʻi