Whakatāne District Council arborists joined forces with Beach Street residents recently to plant 15 Kōwhai trees on their berms.

Council Arborist, Malcolm Lowe says the aim was to find an appropriate replacement for the previous silk trees, which had succumbed to age and ‘wet feet’. "It’s great to see residents working with Council to ensure that plantings are appropriate for the location. This particular berm is quite wide, and we consulted with our 3 Waters department to confirm that the trees would not affect any future works planned for the area," he says.

"The future shading effect of the kōwhai was also considered and the trees were purposefully planted on the north side of the street, so that any impact would affect the road, rather than the adjacent properties."

Beach street residents Gary and Raewyn Eastwood say they and their neighbours were "very impressed" with the Council’s approach. "We’re looking forward to seeing the trees grow and doing their thing and becoming a feature of our street."

The trees will also attract our other locals such as tui and kererū, as the nectar from the kōwhai’s distinctive yellow flowers provides a popular source of food from July through to November.