WAILUA — Landscaping crews worked Wednesday and Thursday on the removal of an old monkeypod tree that “stood guard” for decades in front of Rainbow Gas and Mini Mart on Kuhio Highway in Wailua, according to a release from Becker
WAILUA — Landscaping crews worked Wednesday and Thursday on the removal of an old monkeypod tree that “stood guard” for decades in front of Rainbow Gas and Mini Mart on Kuhio Highway in Wailua, according to a release from Becker Communication on behalf of Aloha Petroleum.
As an Imua Landscaping crew worked on the tree, lane closures caused a small traffic jam extending a few hundred yards north and south of the gas station.
“Over the years, the tree’s roots caused considerable damage to the foundation and walls of the building that houses the convenience store,” said Kris Tanahara, from Becker Communication.
Aloha Petroleum, which leases the Rainbow Gas property, sought advice from The Outdoor Circle and the Kaua‘i Outdoor Circle on how to best manage the tree and its extensive root system, Tanahara said in the release. Aloha also consulted with Kevin K. Eckert, one of Hawai‘i’s foremost arborists, to determine if the tree could be saved.
“We really wanted to save the tree,” Aloha Petroleum Director of Sales and Marketing Larry Adams said in the release. “We spent months exploring different options to save it. Unfortunately, none of the options were viable, and in the end, everyone we consulted with agreed that removing the tree was the only choice we had.”
Adams said Aloha Petroleum will plant a new tree and plants at the gas station. The company also plans to work with the Kaua‘i Outdoor Circle on future tree planting efforts on the island.
At the end of the day Thursday, the monkeypod’s main trunk was still standing on the side of the convenience store.
