The Historic Lahaina Banyan Tree
Before the Maui fires and it's current recovery
The banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) is native to the Indian Subcontinent. It produces propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial roots on the branches. Once these roots reach the ground, they take root and become supportive woody trunks.
When I visited Maui in July 2023, I was able to see the beautiful and historic Lahaina Banyan Tree. The 150-year-old tree is a quarter of a mile in circumference, 60 feet tall and has 16 major trunks, apart from the main trunk, with the canopy spread over an area of about 0.66 acres. At first glance it looks like many trees growing together, but it is actually only one tree. It has a circumference of about a quarter of a mile. It is the largest banyan tree in the United States.
Sheriff William Owen Smith planted the tree on April 24, 1873 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first protestant mission in Lahaina, which started at the request of Queen Keōpūolani, the wife and widow of King Kamehameha.
Sadly, however, the tree was severely damaged a few weeks after I saw it, in the devastating and deadly wildfires that hit Maui in August 2023.
According to an April 2024 news release by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) the Lahaina banyan tree continues to show signs of recovery, eight months after the Maui fires. In a video provided by the DLNR, Duane Sparkman of the Lahaina Treecovery project provides an update, describes some of the challenges the tree still faces, and talks about what lies ahead.