Banyan Tree - Palmetto Bay and Beyond

October 11th, 2007 Categories: Palmetto Bay, South Florida Living

When I first moved to South Florida I fell in love with the trees here. The different varieties of palm trees are hard to keep up with. The Royal Poinciana is another favorite. But the Banyan tree captivates me.

Banyan trees can be found throughout South Florida. They are quite impressive. If you take a drive on Old Cutler Road starting in Palmetto Bay and heading north to Coral Gables, you’ll see many of them. Their canopies can extend clear across the street. But it’s their trunks that mesmerize. There’s something primitive about them. They always make me look and wonder. I’m not quite sure what I wonder about when I look, but time seems to stand still when I’m around the Banyan.

I researched the Banyan shortly after arriving here and was surprised with what I found. The Banyan tree is a fig that usually starts it’s life on another tree. Birds will drop the seed in a crevice of the trunk of another tree and the seed will germinate. It then sends roots down to the ground. Eventually, the Banyan ends up engulfing the tree that gave it life. For this reason the Banyan is also known as a Strangler Fig.

In Robinson Crusoe, the main character made his home in a Banyan tree. The first Banyan tree planted in South Florida was in Ft. Myers. It was a gift to Thomas Edison from Harvey Firestone. Mr. Firestone was introduced to the Banyan in 1925 on a trip to India, one of the native countries of the Banyan tree. The tree he gave Mr. Edison was originally 4 feet tall and now covers 400 feet. Incredible.

Even knowing that a Banyan tree strangles it’s host tree I can’t help but admire it’s beauty. Despicable natural instinct or tenacity? Maybe that’s what I think about when they capture my attention. How they share certain qualities with people.

Looking to buy or sell real estate in Palmetto Bay? Contact the real estate agent who can guide you each step of the way.

Keeping the Real in Real Estate…

¦..Maggie Dokic, Realtor®

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 11th, 2007 at 5:31 am and is filed under Palmetto Bay, South Florida Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1. Susie Roscoe said at October 11th, 2007 at 8:12 am

   Palmetto Bay must be a beautiful drive! I love the Banyan tree but am not fond of the nickname…the Strangler Fig. Yikes!

2. Maggie said at October 12th, 2007 at 10:55 am

   Susie - I know. It sounds so ominous. But that is what it does!

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