Lahaina, Island of Maui, Hawaii Trip Day Ten: Monday, October 1, 2007

The Banyan Tree

Casting shade on more than two-thirds of an acre, this tree is more than sixty feet tall. It was planted in April 1873 in Lahaina's courthouse square, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant missionary work in Lahaina. Today the tree is a well-known landmark. When one says meet me at the banyon tree, there is no question about which banyon tree.

This is a part of the tree in the top photo. Banyans have a peculiar way of growing, in that they put down shoots to both feed and support the spreading structure of limbs and foliage. This growth habit allows the tree to spread to giganitic proportions.

Hawaiian Wood Carver

If only we could have sent the big totem home to reside in our yard ...

This tourist shopping area is a block from the Lahaina waterfront.

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