The landscape of historic Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona is forever changed as the more than 100-year-old Moreton Bay Fig tree with branches that arched over the roadway was cut down, going from its majestic 80 feet high to a 20-foot trunk.
The tree, with its striking white bark and green canopy that spanned 120 feet, was a landmark on the scenic roadway along the sea wall. The tree was in front of the shops at Kona Banyan Court in historic Kailua Village.
The demise of the tree began on Oct. 24, when one of its overarching branches broke in the middle of the night. Kaliko Chun, a member of the family that owns the property on which the tree grows, heard about the branch breaking while she was in Honolulu and flew back to Kona the next day…