Plan to plant tecoma trees on Pulau Besar as tourist attraction

THE landscape of Pulau Besar, 15km from Melaka city, is set to morph into a colourful destination as the Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) is planning a major tecoma tree planting project there.

Melaka city mayor Datuk Zainal Abu said the plan to beautify the landscape of Pulau Besar was a pragmatic move in developing the tourism sector and transforming the area to mirror Jeju Island in South Korea.

‘’We are aware that the trees have their own attractive appeal and the idea of planting them on Pulau Besar cropped up.

“We want to change the landscape of Pulau Besar.

‘’We will have a specific place or hotspot area for people to visit the tecoma trees especially

during the flowering season, which will beautify the environment, similar to the flowering season in South Korea or Japan, ’’ he said.

Tecoma trees from the Bignoniaceae family, start blooming in mid-March and produce sakura-like pink and white flowers, which adds colour to the city as well as in various areas of Kedah and Kuala Lumpur.

The trees’ beautiful flowers have become an attraction and people enjoy taking snapshots of the picturesque area.

Zainal said MBMB plans to plant five to six tecoma trees in one spot, in selected areas on the island.

Besides Pulau Besar, several other areas have been identified for planting tecoma trees such as Bukit Serindit, Taman Bunga Merdeka, recreational areas and along main roads.

MBMB was also studying several other tree species, which could be planted as additional attractions to complement the beauty of tecoma trees, Zainal added. — Bernama