'Ohia'a Tree
Metrosideros polymorpha
Status: not currently endangered, but under watch because the habitat for this tree is disappearing. Disease has further decimated the population - fungal infestations that attack this species. Many birds rely upon the 'Ohi'a tree for nesting and food, including several endagered bird species: 'Akepa, 'I'iwi, Hawaii Creeper
One of the rare and important qualities of the 'Ohi'a Tree is that it can grow in proximity to the toxic gasses of volcanic lava flows. In a land that is constantly being shaped by the tremors of the earth and burning lava, it is one of the first plants that begin the colonization process after a new lava flow has hardened.
This affinity for the tree to the landscape of volcanoes ties the tree to the lore of Pele, goddess of volcanoes. In one tale, Pele fell in love with a youth named 'Ohi'a, but he loved a woman, Lehua. In a fit of jealousy and anger at the rejection, Pele turned him into a tree. The other gods took pity upon Lehua for her loss, and transformed her into a flower for the 'Ohi'a tree. When a person is skilled, strong, and beloved, they are said to be a lehua flower.
References:
dTusher, Rapid Ohia Death Poster - 'Ohi'a lehua. Hawai'i' Forest Institute & Hawai'i Forest Industry Association, September 2016.
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/files/2018/10/Rapid-Ohia-Death-Poster.pdf
Hughes, T. (2020). World Mythology: From Indigenous Tales to Classical Legends. United Kingdom: Arcturus Publishing.