Hope is sprouting on fire-ravaged Maui.
A year after it was destroyed in wildfires that ravaged Hawaii Island last year, the island’s iconic 151-year-old banyan tree is recovering.
Some of the branches of this giant tree, which existed before Hawaii became a U.S. territory, are showing unlikely signs of life after a devastating natural disaster — and it’s all thanks to the efforts of dedicated arborists.
“The tree has lots of long branches with hundreds of leaves on them,” said Duane Sparkman, chairman of the Maui County Tree Commission. He told the Associated PressHe added that some branches were bearing fruit.
“It’s really amazing to see so much of the tree come back.”
This giant banyan tree along Lahaina’s historic Front Street was one of countless casualties in the August 2023 wildfire that claimed 102 lives.
The tree has been a community touchstone for generations: India gifted the exotic tree to Hawaii in 1873 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant missionaries settling in Lahaina.
Since then, the tree has grown to more than 60 feet tall and is supported by multiple trunks across nearly an acre, about half of which was irreparably destroyed in the fire.
The main tourist attraction was badly charred by the blaze, not from the flames themselves, but from the intense heat that dried out the wood.
But because of their long history and the local community’s attachment to them, arborists and volunteers have embarked on a mission to preserve as many of the banyan trees as possible.
While the banyan trees may be Maui’s greatest beacon of hope, arborists are also focused on replacing the estimated 25,000 trees lost in the fires.
Sparkman’s nonprofit, Tree Covery, has already potted 3,500 trees growing in “mini-nurseries,” including some of the island’s hotels, until people can return to their homes.
“We have growing sites all over Maui and we can grow as many trees as we need, so when people are ready, they can come pick up a tree and plant it in their yard,” he said.
“It’s important to do this for families.”
