Pines at Plamtation or Pickets in Paradise

[MCirba]

Does anyone know the deal with those rows of visually distracting pines seemingly planted symetrically all along the perimeter of the Kapalua Plantation course?  Are they native?  Do they have a functional purpose?


Thanks.

[Ira Fishman]

We were there last year and told that they were planted by long ago seafarers so that they could repair their ships. Cool story but have no idea if true.

[Jason Topp]

I do not know the origin (although the ship story rings a bell).  In person I think the trees look cool. 

[Tom_Doak]

They are called Norfolk Island Pines, native to a small island between NZ and Australia.  Captain Cook thought they would make good masts for sailing ships, so the Brits colonized Norfolk Island with convicts to harvest them all, but they would break in a severe wind so the experiment was abandoned.


You see a lot of them in New Zealand as someone there decided they were a cool ornamental tree.  There are a few along the shore at Tara Iti, but not nearly as many as there used to be   

[MCirba]

Tom,

Thanks for the comprehensive reply.

It's really interesting and I'm pretty sure I'll never look at those trees in quite the same way again.