When a devastating wildfire raged through Lahaina, Maui, last August, the wall of flames scorched the 151-year-old banyan tree along the historic town’s Front Street. But the sprawling tree survived the blaze, and thanks to the efforts of arborists and dedicated volunteers, parts of it are growing back—and even thriving.

One year after the fire, learn everything you need to know about the banyan tree and the efforts to restore it.

Why is the Lahaina Banyan Tree so significant?

The banyan tree is the oldest living tree on Maui, but is not a native species to the Hawaiian Islands. India sent the tree as a gift to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first Protestant missionaries in Lahaina. It was planted in 1873, a quarter century before the Hawaiian Islands became a U.S. territory and seven decades after King Kamehameha made Lahaina the capital of his kingdom.

The tree is beloved and fondly remembered by the millions of tourists who have visited Maui over the years, but for many others it is a symbol of colonial rule that robbed Native Hawaiians of their land and suppressed their language and culture.

For generations, the Banyan tree served as a gathering place on Lahaina’s waterfront. By many accounts, it was the heart of the coastal community – towering over 60 feet tall and supported by multiple trunks that spanned nearly an acre.

The huge tree has leafy branches that unfurl majestically, providing shade from the sun. Aerial roots hang from its branches and eventually anchor themselves in the ground to form new trunks. The branches spread widely and have become roosting places for choirs of birds.

What happened to it during the fire?

The 2023 fire charred the tree and blackened many of its leaves. But it wasn’t so much the flames as the intense heat that mostly dried out the tree, according to Duane Sparkman, chairman of the Maui County Arborist Committee. As a result of that moisture loss, about half of the tree’s branches died, he said.

“Once that part of the tree dried up, there was no turning back,” he said.

But other parts of the tree are now growing back healthily.

How was it saved?

Those working to restore the tree removed the dead branches so the tree’s energy could flow into the living branches, Sparkman said.

To monitor this energy, 14 sensors were screwed into the tree to track the flow of cambium, or sap, through its branches.

“It’s basically a heart monitor,” Sparkman said. “As we treat the tree, its heartbeat gets stronger and stronger.”

Sparkman said there are also plans to install vertical tubes to support the tree’s aerial roots, which appear to be vertical branches that grow downward toward the ground. The tubes will contain compost to provide the branches with essential nutrients as they take root in the soil.

A planned irrigation system will also direct small drops of water into the pipes. The goal, Sparkman said, is to help the aerial roots “build mass and become the next stabilizing root.” The system will also irrigate the surrounding land and the tree canopy.

“You see a lot of long, long branches with hundreds of leaves on the tree,” Sparkman said, adding that some branches even bear fruit. “It’s pretty amazing to see how much of the tree grows back.”

What other trees were destroyed in the fire?

Sparkman estimates that about 25,000 trees were lost in the fire in Lahaina.

These included the fruit trees that people planted in their gardens, as well as trees that play an important role in Hawaiian culture, such as the ulu, or breadfruit, tree. Of the dozen or so trees that remained, the fire charred all but two.

Since the fire, a group of arborists, farmers and landscapers – including Sparkman – have set out to save the ulu and other culturally important trees. Before colonization, commercial agriculture and tourism, thousands of breadfruit trees were scattered throughout Lahaina.

To restore Lahaina’s trees, Sparkman founded a nonprofit called Treecovery. The group has potted about 3,500 trees, he said, and grown them in “micro-nurseries” around the island, including in some hotels, until people can return to their homes.

“We have growing centers all over the island of Maui where we can grow these trees as long as they need to. When people are ready, we can ask them to pick up the trees and plant them in their yards,” he said. “It’s important that we do this for the families.”