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Saving The ?Ohe ?Ohe

National Tropical Botanical Garden
National Tropical Botanical Garden

An organization on Kauai is keeping a critically endangered plant from going extinct.

There are only 40 ‘ohe ‘ohe trees left in the wild, but the National Tropical Botanical Garden has multiplied the population in a matter of days.

This is part of the organization’s latest project to save the native plant.

Tessa McSwain is the group’s Marketing Director.

National Tropical Botanical Garden
Credit National Tropical Botanical Garden
?Ohe ?Ohe seedlings

McSwain says between 100 and 300 seeds have sprouted, but the plants are still in the early stages of life.

The Garden plans to plant the trees in the wild sometime this year.

‘Ohe ‘ohe can only be found on Kauai and is on the IUCN’s critically endangered list.

Casey Harlow was an HPR reporter and occasionally filled in as local host of Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
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