Why the wildfire loss of Lahaina’s banyan tree is so devastating

The beloved tree, which has stood at the centre of the historic town of Lahaina for more than 150 years, has been charred by the wildfires

As wildfires tore through the Hawaiian Island of Maui this week, not even the famed banyan tree could be spared from the raging flames.

The beloved tree, which has stood at the centre of the historic town of Lahaina for more than 150 years, was left scorched and charred beyond recognition, images showing its blackened branches and trunks among the embers.

But, despite the damage, for now, the tree is still standing.

For many years, the iconic tree along the Lahaina town’s Front Street served as a gathering place.

With more than two million people visiting the town each year, the tree became the heart of the oceanside community, towering more than 60 feet (18 meters) high and anchored by multiple trunks that span almost an acre.

“The Banyan Tree embodies the deep and resilient spirit of Lahaina, made for renewal. That’s our ethos in Maui,” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

So what is the significance of the Banyan Tree and will it survive Hawaii’s worst natural disaster in more than 50 years?

Follow live updates of the wildfires in Maui here

Here’s what we know about the banyan tree and its history

The historic town of Lahaina

Lahaina dates back to the 1700s and was once the royal residence of King Kamehameha, who is said to have unified Hawaii under a single kingdom by defeating the other islands’ chiefs, according to the National Park Service.

The Lahaina Historic District is now home to more than 60 historic sites, according to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Hawaii Fires Banyan Tree (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A National Historic Landmark since 1962, it encompasses more than 16,000 acres (6,500 hectares) and covers ocean waters stretching a mile (1.6 kilometres) offshore from the storied buildings.

For many Hawaiians, the town is a connection to their ancestors.

Now, the historic town is almost totally burnt to the ground, with the blaze leaving behind smoking piles of rubble.

The wildfire has so far consumed much of Lahaina’s Front Street, home to restaurants, bars, stores and the banyan tree – a fig tree with aerial roots that grow out of branches and eventually reach the soil and become new trunks.

What is the Lahaina banyan tree?

An anchor of Banyan Tree Park, the banyan tree is soon as an iconic figure in nature.

According to the Hawaii Ocean Project, the tree was originally gifted from India and is the biggest tree on both the island and across the US.

It was first planted in 1873 by the then-Sheriff of Lahaina William Owen Smith to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission on Maui.

It was planted a quarter century before the Hawaiian Islands became a US territory and seven decades after King Kamehameha declared Lahaina the capital of his kingdom.

The scorched banyan tree (AFP via Getty Images)

The tree was only eight feet tall with a single trunk when it was planted and it now stands over 60 feet tall with a canopy spread of 2/3rds of an acre (about a quarter mile).

The Hawaii Ocean Project said it is a common misconception, due to the number of trunks, that the banyan tree is composed of several trees that have fused together. Instead, it is actually a single trunk that has rooted into 16 major trunks.

“Unlike most trees, banyan trees actually sprout aerial roots that hang down from its branches. When these roots become long enough to touch ground, they root themselves in place,” the Hawaii Ocean Project added.

The Maui County Arborist committee has been tasked with keeping the tree alive as well as maintaining the shape of the tree as it is the centrepiece of the park.

The Banyan Tree Park sits on the grounds of the old Lahaina Fort which was demolished in 1854 and later became the site of a courthouse.

“Prior to being renamed Banyan Tree Park, the park went by the moniker Lahaina Courthouse Square. Long time locals often refer to the park by that name,” the Hawaii Ocean Project said on its website.

Will the banyan tree survive?

As the wildfires continue to burn in Maui – and the damage to the island is yet to be realised – locals have spoken of their concerns for this crucial piece of history.

Although still standing, the banyan tree does face some damage to its trunk and limbs.

“There is nothing that has made me cry more today than the thought of the Banyan Tree in my hometown of Lahaina,” wrote one user identifying herself as HawaiiDelilah on X.

“We will rebuild. And the natural beauty of Maui will be forever,” her post said.

Meanwhile, Tiffany Kidder Winn, who analysed the damage in Lahaina on Wednesday, walked by the tree and saw hope in its charred branches.

Hawaii Fires Banyan Tree (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

“It’s burned, but I looked at the trunk and the roots and I think it’s going to make it,” she said.

“It was kind of this diamond in the rough of hope.”

The tree has somewhat become a symbol of the damage, loss and hope, John Sandbach, who has lived on Maui for nearly two decades said.

“There’s just so much meaning attached to it and there’s so many experiences that everyone has. It’s in the heart of a historic town,” he said.

“The town could have survived the banyan tree burning down," he said, “but nothing can survive with the whole town burning down.”

Additional reporting from agencies