Two years ago, Mr. Handsome and I visited the majestic redwoods along the West Coast and were blown away by their impressive height. Many were so tall that standing underneath them and looking up only provided a view of the bottom half of the tree. Earlier this spring, we came face-to-face with yet another unique tree: the banyan tree.
While redwoods are famous for their height, banyan trees are known for their massive canopies and their unique root systems. The largest ones can take up a space of a few acres! During our vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii, we walked along iconic Banyan Drive in Hilo (the east side of the island), which is lined with a handful of banyan trees.
The oldest banyan tree in Hawaii is the Lahaina Banyan, planted on Maui in 1873 as a gift from Indian missionaries. While the banyan trees along the Big Island’s Banyan Drive are not quite as old, they were planted by notable individuals, including Amelia Earhart, Richard Nixon, FDR, Babe Ruth, and King George V.
Amelia Earhart planted her banyan tree on January 6th, 1935, just a few days before embarking on a journey that made her the first pilot to fly solo from Hawaii to San Francisco. It was only two years later that Earhart went missing. Nixon’s tree was planted during his visit to the island in 1952, while he was a California senator. Ironically, his tree was destroyed during an election year storm. In 1972, his wife, then the first lady, returned to Hilo to plant two new banyan trees in its place.
This banyan tree isn’t as large as some of the others, but we found its root system to be pretty neat. The black rock is lava rock.
And here’s another smaller, but still beautiful, tree with my Mr. Handsome standing under it…
Love this post!I I like to look at trees especially big trees. I also have seen the redwood giants in California , they were very impressive. I never seen a banyan tree, the exposing roots are very unique. I love the pictures…Jane
It’s the sacred tree of India. There are a lot of myths there and in southeast Asia about the tree being the home to spirits.
That’s so cool! I’ve never even heard of a banyan tree before this.
Of topic, but do you, Ellie, or any others have any tips or sights to see or do in Knoxville, TN? Thank you in advance😁
We haven’t spent much time in the actual city of Knoxville, but we highly recommend nearby Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Lots of hiking and great views. Are you planning a trip?
Ellie
Yes, I am planning to visit the area. I was hoping to visit more nature-related sights.
Its awesome in the Smokies. I enjoyed your article on Banyan trees. Thank you.
If you enjoy nature, you should definitely spend some time in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Do you like to hike? We went to Gatlinburg last year for the first weekend of November, and it was the peak of the fall colors. It was just gorgeous. Here’s my post about our trip: https://anashvillewife.com/fall-in-smokies/
Ellie
So beautiful! I have seen redwoods and a few eucalyptus trees in California and they are beautiful but these look extra special!
Ellie ty for the pics and tree info , i learned something new today! Do you decorate for fall in your home? It would be fun to see your deco if you did decorate for fall. Also, i hope your pregnancy is going very well for both of you!
It’s my pleasure, Stacey. Thank you for the well wishes. I don’t usually put up fall decorations. I do have a fall-scented candle though, and I hope to buy some pumpkins. How about you?
Ellie
Yes, I love holiday decorating. I have put out my fall and Halloween decorations the end of Sept. We have a pretty short fall season in ND it seems to go from summer, then about month or so of fall, then Wah-lah winter comes with the first snow. Hope you and your husband have a lovely evening and I really enjoy all your blogs, thank you for reading this and for your blogs!
Thank you, Stacey! I’m blessed to have you as a reader. I’m sure your decorations are beautiful.
Ellie
I LOVE banyan trees. There are 3 of them on my parents property in Florida. I’ve been trying to direct the roots from one of them to enclose 3 sides of a reading deck that hangs partially over the river there. It will take years for it to be done, but it will be wonderful when it is.
I’ve seen the one in Kauai, and it’s unbelievable. They built the town square with it in the center, and now it branches out to all four corners of it. It’s one of the most beautiful and impressive trees I’ve ever seen.
Banyans look like they should have hobbits living in them.
I wasn’t aware that they grew in Florida. Very neat. How large are the ones on your parents’ property? And I definitely agree that banyan trees look like hobbit homes. Are you a ‘Lord of the Rings’ fan?
Ellie
I love Lord of the Rings, though it’s been many years since I read the books.
The banyans at my parent’s house are much smaller than the ones in your photos. I imagine they were planted in the 70s, when the house was built-my parents bought the house much more recently.
I don’t think banyan trees are native to Florida, but they grow beautifully there, at least in the southern part of the state.
Your parents must have a beautiful yard! I have not yet read the LOTR books, but I hear they are good.
Ellie
I also liked this post about Banyan trees. In the 70s there was a natural foods restaurant called ‘The Banyan Tree’ and that memory warms my heart. The hippie era was a mixture of stuff. A lot of it had merit. Like gardening, humble attitudes, peace, love and natural foods. A restaurant like that is quite folksy and has a soulful, spiritual effect on a person, that is inspirational! More so than a fast food restaurant that uses lots of one time use ‘convenient’ paper packaging from bulldozed trees (that is really not at all ‘convenient’)! There is ultimately more future in some serious tree loving than bulldozing them all down for one reason or another. I think you are doing a good thing to share these pictures with ‘the world’!
Your second photo is actually a monkeypod tree, NOT a banyan … 🙂