diff --git a/benchmarks/core.py b/benchmarks/core.py
index 062c2533..2aca9eb8 100644
--- a/benchmarks/core.py
+++ b/benchmarks/core.py
@@ -157,4 +157,4 @@ def setup():
     def dual(H):
         H.dual()
 
-    benchmark.pedantic(dual, setup=setup, rounds=rounds)
+    benchmark.pedantic(dual, setup=setup, rounds=rounds)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/stats/test_core_stats_functions.py b/tests/stats/test_core_stats_functions.py
index a5581f77..1cb35537 100644
--- a/tests/stats/test_core_stats_functions.py
+++ b/tests/stats/test_core_stats_functions.py
@@ -575,6 +575,103 @@ def test_issue_468():
     assert H.edges.size.ashist().equals(df)
 
 
+
+def test_ashist_plotting_basic():
+    """Test basic plotting functionality."""
+    H = xgi.sunflower(3, 1, 20)
+    
+    # Test that plot=False still returns correct DataFrame
+    df_no_plot = H.edges.size.ashist(plot=False)
+    expected_df = pd.DataFrame([[20.0, 3]], columns=["bin_center", "value"])
+    assert df_no_plot.equals(expected_df)
+    
+    # Test that plot=True returns correct DataFrame
+    df_with_plot = H.edges.size.ashist(plot=True)
+    assert df_with_plot.equals(expected_df)
+
+
+def test_ashist_plot_types():
+    """Test different plot types."""
+    H = xgi.sunflower(3, 1, 20)
+    
+    # Test valid plot types
+    for plot_type in ['bar', 'line', 'step']:
+        df = H.edges.size.ashist(plot=plot_type)
+        expected_df = pd.DataFrame([[20.0, 3]], columns=["bin_center", "value"])
+        assert df.equals(expected_df)
+
+
+def test_ashist_plot_kwargs():
+    """Test plot kwargs functionality."""
+    H = xgi.sunflower(3, 1, 20)
+    
+    # Test with valid kwargs
+    df = H.edges.size.ashist(
+        plot='bar',
+        plot_kwargs={'color': 'red', 'alpha': 0.5}
+    )
+    expected_df = pd.DataFrame([[20.0, 3]], columns=["bin_center", "value"])
+    assert df.equals(expected_df)
+
+def test_ashist_plot_errors():
+    """Test error handling in plotting."""
+    H = xgi.sunflower(3, 1, 20)
+    
+    # Test invalid plot type
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Unknown plot type:"):
+        H.edges.size.ashist(plot='invalid_type')
+    
+    # Test with valid matplotlib parameters
+    df = H.edges.size.ashist(
+        plot='bar',
+        plot_kwargs={'color': 'red', 'alpha': 0.5}  # Known valid parameters
+    )
+    assert isinstance(df, pd.DataFrame)
+
+def test_ashist_density_plotting():
+    """Test plotting with density parameter."""
+    H = xgi.sunflower(3, 1, 20)
+    
+    # Test with density=True
+    df = H.edges.size.ashist(plot=True, density=True)
+    # Note: actual values will be different with density=True
+    assert 'bin_center' in df.columns
+    assert 'value' in df.columns
+
+def test_ashist_bin_edges_plotting():
+    """Test plotting with bin_edges parameter."""
+    H = xgi.sunflower(3, 1, 20)
+    
+    # Test with bin_edges=True
+    df = H.edges.size.ashist(plot=True, bin_edges=True)
+    assert 'bin_lo' in df.columns
+    assert 'bin_hi' in df.columns
+
+
+
+def test_ashist_single_unique_value():
+    """Test ashist when there is only one unique value and multiple bins."""
+    # Create a hypergraph with edges all of the same size
+    H = xgi.Hypergraph()
+    H.add_nodes_from(range(5))
+    # All edges have size 2
+    H.add_edges_from([[0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 0]])
+
+    # Call ashist with multiple bins
+    df = H.edges.size.ashist(bins=10, plot=False)  # plot=False to avoid plotting
+
+    # Assert that only one bin is created
+    assert len(df) == 1, "There should be only one bin when all values are identical."
+
+    # Assert that the bin center is equal to the unique value
+    assert df['bin_center'].iloc[0] == 2, "The bin center should be the unique value."
+
+    # Assert that the count is equal to the number of edges
+    assert df['value'].iloc[0] == 3, "The count should match the number of identical values."
+
+
+
+
 ### Attribute statistics
 
 
diff --git a/xgi/stats/__init__.py b/xgi/stats/__init__.py
index 5e0e0648..a86fa0a8 100644
--- a/xgi/stats/__init__.py
+++ b/xgi/stats/__init__.py
@@ -162,8 +162,16 @@ def aspandas(self):
         """
         return pd.Series(self._val, name=self.name)
 
-    def ashist(self, bins=10, bin_edges=False, density=False, log_binning=False):
-        """Return the distribution of a numpy array.
+    def ashist(
+        self,
+        bins=10,
+        bin_edges=False,
+        density=False,
+        log_binning=False,
+        plot=False,
+        plot_kwargs=None,
+    ):
+        """Return the distribution of a numpy array and optionally plot it.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
@@ -172,34 +180,71 @@ def ashist(self, bins=10, bin_edges=False, density=False, log_binning=False):
         bins : int, list, or Numpy array
             The number of bins or the bin edges.
         bin_edges : bool
-            Whether to also output the min and max of each bin,
-            by default, False.
+            Whether to also output the min and max of each bin.
         density : bool
-            Whether to normalize the resulting distribution.
+            Whether to normalize the distribution.
         log_binning : bool
             Whether to bin the values with log-sized bins.
-            By default, False.
-
+        plot : bool or str
+            If True, plots histogram using matplotlib.
+            Can also be 'bar', 'line', or 'step' to specify plot type.
+        plot_kwargs : dict
+            Additional keyword arguments for plotting function.
 
         Returns
         -------
         Pandas DataFrame
-            A two-column table with "bin_center" and "value" columns,
-            where "value" is a count or a probability. If `bin_edges`
-            is True, outputs two additional columns, `bin_lo` and `bin_hi`,
-            which outputs the left and right bin edges respectively.
+            DataFrame with histogram data and optional plot.
 
-        Notes
-        -----
-        Originally from https://github.com/jkbren/networks-and-dataviz
+        Examples
+        --------
+        >>> H.nodes.degree.ashist(plot='bar', plot_kwargs={'color': 'red'})
         """
-
-        # if there is one unique value and more than one bin is specified,
-        # sets the number of bins to 1.
+        # Handle single value case
         if isinstance(bins, int) and len(set(self.aslist())) == 1:
             bins = 1
 
-        return hist(self.asnumpy(), bins, bin_edges, density, log_binning)
+        # Get histogram data
+        df = hist(self.asnumpy(), bins, bin_edges, density, log_binning)
+
+        # Only execute plotting code if plot is True or a string
+        if plot:
+            try:
+                import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+            except ImportError:
+                raise ImportError("Matplotlib is required for plotting.")
+
+            # Set default plotting parameters
+            plot_kwargs = plot_kwargs or {}
+            plot_type = "bar" if plot is True else plot
+
+            # Create plot
+            fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+
+            # Plot based on type
+            if plot_type == "bar":
+                ax.bar(df["bin_center"], df["value"], **plot_kwargs)
+            elif plot_type == "line":
+                ax.plot(df["bin_center"], df["value"], **plot_kwargs)
+            elif plot_type == "step":
+                ax.step(df["bin_center"], df["value"], where="mid", **plot_kwargs)
+            else:
+                raise ValueError(f"Unknown plot type: {plot_type}")
+
+            # Set labels
+            ax.set_xlabel("Value")
+            ax.set_ylabel("Count" if not density else "Probability")
+            ax.set_title("Histogram")
+
+            # Add bin edges if requested
+            if bin_edges:
+                for _, row in df.iterrows():
+                    ax.axvline(row["bin_lo"], color="gray", linestyle="--", alpha=0.5)
+                    ax.axvline(row["bin_hi"], color="gray", linestyle="--", alpha=0.5)
+
+            plt.show()
+
+        return df
 
     def max(self):
         """The maximum value of this stat."""