Symbol of resilience: Lahaina’s historic banyan tree thrives one year after deadly wildfire
Fresh leaves grow on the popular historic banyan tree in front of the remains of the old Lahaina Courthouse, built in 1859, in the Lahaina wildfire zone on August 2, 2024 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, Hawaii – There is a sign of hope on Maui: The town of Lahaina is recovering from last year’s devastating and deadly wildfires.
Last August, the 151-year-old banyan tree on the historic city’s Front Street was scorched by a wall of flames.
But a year later, the sprawling tree survived the fire, and thanks to the efforts of arborists and dedicated volunteers, parts of it are growing back—and even thriving.
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.
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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.
Lahaina, Maui, Thursday, August 11, 2023 – The iconic banyan tree stands among the rubble of burned buildings, days after a devastating wildfire ravaged the town. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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 – it stood over 60 feet tall and rested on multiple trunks that spanned nearly an acre.
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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 soil 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 largely dried out the tree, said 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.
An aerial photograph shows the historic Banyan tree, planted in 1873, in its recovery. Sailboats are seen anchored in the distance on August 3, 2024 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
“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.
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“It’s basically a heart monitor,” Sparkman said. “As we treat the tree, its heartbeat gets stronger and stronger.”
Hawaiian cat lost in Maui wildfires – family reunited in Montana
Mahina traveled all the way from Maui, Hawaii to Montana to reunite with her family, who had to leave their home and move to the mainland due to the wildfires. (Source: Maui Humane Society)
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 “gain 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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
