These “rain-maker” trees saved a Hawaiian island
Driving around the sparsely-populated Hawaiian island of Lanai, I was immediately fascinated by the perfectly-shaped pine trees which line the highways and streets in the small town.
They’re structural, and almost monumental, and far from the palm trees we all imagine when we picture Hawaii in our minds.
It turns out, they’re more than interesting landscaping. They’re key to life on the island.
The 3,000 people who live on Lanai would have a much more difficult time finding drinking water, and the resorts wouldn’t be able to operate without them!
The tallest trees were planted at high points on the island a hundred years ago, and they actually bring much-needed moisture to Lanai.
I spent an afternoon with Robert Woodman, the chief landscaper at the Four Seasons Lanai, who confirmed: the ecological rumor … is true!
These special trees, planted at the highest elevations on the island, are actually able to lure moisture in, and deposit it into the ground below.
Hawaiian islands, as it turns out, are not equal when it comes to rain and moisture.
The moisture-rich trade winds drop rain on the neighboring islands of Molokai and Maui, leaving Lanai with a relatively dry landscape. It’s the driest of all the islands.
In the early 1900s, livestock on the ranches stripped much of the island’s plants, creating a dire need for an environmental rehab and rescue.
The main rancher, George Munro, heard that Norfolk Pines collect fog and mist, condense it, and drip it from their limbs. The story goes: he heard water dripping from a pine tree onto his roof.
He thought: more pines would help condense the fog and mist… and bring that moisture down to the ground. He was right!
The uniquely-shaped pine needles have a lot of surface area, which traps moisture.
The trees themselves use a fraction of the water. The rest seeps down into the aquifer.
We’re talking 100-200 gallons of water … per tree… per day!
The rancher ordered a huge shipment of Norfolk Pines, nicknamed the “rain-maker tree.” He actually received Cook Pines, which are similar.
Regardless, they did the trick, and saved the ecology of Lanai.
The tall century-old pines are not the palm trees that pop into our minds when we imagine Hawaii. But they’re crucial to life on the island, and are centerpieces in Lanai City, the island’s only town, pictured below.
