Lahaina Banyan Tree Has Sprouted New Leaves

Lahaina Banyan Tree Has Sprouted New Leaves Since the Devastating Maui Wildfires

By Regina Sienra on October 5, 2023

Lahaina Banyan Tree Park on Maui, Hawaii

After the devastating fires that hit Maui a couple of months ago, one of the biggest questions regarding the community’s cultural heritage was whether Lahaina's 150-year-old banyan tree would survive. The storied tree, which was first planted in 1873, was severely burned during the wildfires. Now, the arborists working on the tree have shared some uplifting updates. According to those working on the tree, it has sprouted new leaves, raising hopes about its future.

“After not being here for two weeks and looking at the new sprouts, especially on the makai side of the tree it is enlightening and exciting to see all the new growth, but also how high up in the canopy it is,” arborist Steve Nimz, part of the Lahaina Treescape Restoration Project, said in a news release.

Nimz explained that one-third of the tree is showing really strong recovery, another third is showing a little progress, and the final third has not shown anything yet. “In my opinion the tree is still in a coma. I relate it to people,” the arborist explains. “They’re in a coma and all of a sudden they blink an eye or move a finger. This tree needs to put out enough foliage and green to be able to feed itself.” According to experts, the soil beneath the tree became extremely hot during the fire, which altered the ground’s ability to absorb water.

The banyan fig, which now stands 60 feet tall, was first planted in the 19th century when it was an 8-foot-tall sapling. It was placed in downtown Lahaina by the sheriff to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first Protestant mission. Despite the attachment the community has to it, the Ficus benghalensis is not a species native to Hawai'i. It was actually shipped from India, becoming a symbol of Hawai'i's burgeoning multicultural exchange.

The historic banyan tree is not the only plant the Lahaina Treescape Restoration Project is taking care of. With the help of volunteer construction companies, they've been watering the banyan tree as well as numerous ulu (breadfruit trees), kukui nut, and Royal palm trees. “We’re also taking care of a lot of other historical trees in Lahaina, but most of them have been charred pretty bad,” Landscaping business owner Chris Imonti told CNN. “I mean, everything is gone. We’re running around watering a few trees in town and that’s all that’s left.” Since most landmarks were destroyed, the landscaper describes the tree as “your only compass in town.”

While the locals have more pressing matters as they rebuild their life following the fire, those looking after it know it can be a good vehicle for change, and a symbol for the resilience of those who call Maui home. “People see it as a sign of hope,” Imonti says. “A sign of new beginnings.”

After the devastating fires that hit Maui a couple of months ago, one of the biggest questions regarding cultural heritage was whether Lahaina's 150-year-old banyan tree would survive.

Photo: PiKappa/Depositphotos

Now, the arborists working on the tree have shared some uplifting updates. According to those working on the tree, it has sprouted new leaves, raising hopes about its future.

“It is enlightening and exciting to see all the new growth, but also how high up in the canopy it is,” says Steve Nimz, an arborist part of the Lahaina Treescape Restoration Project.

“In my opinion the tree is still in a coma. I relate it to people. They’re in a coma and all of a sudden they blink an eye or move a finger. This tree needs to put out enough foliage and green to be able to feed itself.”

Signs of #hope:

the historic banyan tree burned during the #Lahaina fire last month has sprouted new leaves, showing signs of resilience and recovery pic.twitter.com/z2oPnP91e3

— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) September 20, 2023