Symbol of resilience: Lahaina's historic banyan tree thrives a year after deadly wildfire

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Fresh leaves grow on the historic beloved banyan tree in front of the remains of the Old Lahaina Courthouse, built in 1859, inside the Lahaina wildfire impact zone on August 02, 2024 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

LAHAINA, Hawaii - A sign of hope is sprouting in Maui as the town of Lahaina recovers from last year's devastating, deadly wildfire.

Last August, a wall of flames scorched the 151-year-old banyan tree along the historic town's Front Street.

But one year later, the sprawling tree survived the blaze, and thanks to the efforts of arborists and dedicated volunteers, parts of it are growing back — and even thriving.

Why is Lahaina's banyan tree significant?

The banyan tree is the oldest living one on Maui but is not a species indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. India shipped the tree as a gift to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first Protestant missionaries to live 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 declared Lahaina the capital of his kingdom.

The tree is widely beloved and fondly remembered by millions of tourists who have visited Maui over the years. But for many others it is a symbol of colonial rule that has dispossessed 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 catastrophic wildfire swept through the city. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

For generations, the banyan tree served as a gathering place along Lahaina’s waterfront. By many accounts, it was the heart of the oceanside community — towering more than 60 feet high and anchored by multiple trunks that span nearly an acre.

The enormous tree has leafy branches that unfurl majestically and offer shade from the sun. Aerial roots dangle from its boughs and eventually latch onto the soil to become new trunks. Branches splay out 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 the flames so much as the intense heat that was generated that dried out much of the tree, according to Duane Sparkman, chair of the Maui County Arborist Committee. As a result of this loss of moisture, about half of the tree's branches died, he said.

In an aerial view, the recovering historic banyan tree, which was planted in 1873, is seen with sailboats moored in the distance on August 03, 2024 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

"Once that section of the tree desiccated, there was no coming back," he said.

But other parts of the tree are now growing back healthy.

How was it saved?

Those working to restore the tree removed the dead branches so that the tree's energy would go toward the branches that were alive, Sparkman said.

To monitor that energy, 14 sensors were screwed into the tree to track the flows of cambium, or sap, through its branches.

"It's basically a heart monitor," Sparkman said. "As we’ve been treating the tree, the heart beat's getting stronger and stronger and stronger."

Hawaiian cat lost during Maui wildfires reunited with family in Montana

Mahina traveled all the way from Maui, Hawaii, to Montana to reunite with her family who had to leave their home due to the wildfires and move to the mainland. (Credit: Maui Humane Society)

Sparkman said there are also plans to install vertical tubes to help the tree's aerial roots, which appear to be vertical branches that grow down toward the ground. The tubes will contain compost so as to provide the branches with key nutrients when they take root in the soil.

A planned irrigation system will also feed small drops of water into the tubes. The goal, Sparkman said, is to help those aerial roots "bulk up and become the next stabilizer root." The system will also irrigate the surrounding land and the tree's canopy.

"You see a lot of long, long branches with hundreds of leaves back on the tree," Sparkman said, adding that some branches are even producing fruit. "It’s pretty amazing to see that much of the tree come back."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

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