Landscaping Efforts Underway on Tetiaroa

Still two years away from the opening of The Brando hotel on Tetiaroa, landscaping efforts are well underway on the atoll. The master plan for Tetiaroa includes a substantial landscaping program aimed at caring for existing vegetation. At the same time, the program will reintroduce various plant species on Onetahi (one of the islets, or motus, of Tetiaroa) that are native to the atoll, predating even the presence of Tahiti’s royal family here.

Pacific Beachcomber SC (PBSC), the developer of Tetiaroa, has hired an experienced landscape architect, Franck Neau, to help create a facsimile of the atoll’s original landscape, and almost all plants that are currently being cultivated are already found on the motus of Tetiaroa.

Using transplantation and cuttings in order to replant various species, Mr. Neau has created an extensive nursery on Onetahi adjacent to the runway that was recently completed here. The nursery currently houses 30 different species totaling more than 4,000 plants, all of which will ultimately be transplanted to various parts of the motu.

Extensive work has also been done to transplant approximately 150 coconut trees that had to be removed in order to construct the new runway. These trees were transplanted to the area where the old runway was located, which has not only helped to preserved the trees, but also provided vegetation to a previously vacant area.

The landscaping program on Tetiaroa is a continual effort that will ultimately be incorporated into the ongoing management of Tetiaroa. Staff will be knowledgeable about the atoll’s flora, and guests will be able to see and experience its natural beauty throughout the island.

Among the native species currently being grown on Onetahi are:

Tags:  Landscaping