Strangler Fig

tropical plants · unusual trees · nature's takeover

Starts way up high. A strangler fig begins its life when a bird or animal drops its tiny seed into the branches of another tree, high above the ground. The seed sprouts right there in the air, far from the soil.

Wraps around its host. As the strangler fig grows, its roots grow downward like long fingers, wrapping tightly around the trunk of the tree below. Over many years, these roots squeeze closer and closer together.

Eventually takes over. The strangler fig's roots become so thick and numerous that they can actually cut off the flow of water and nutrients to the original tree. The host tree slowly weakens and dies, leaving just the fig tree standing.

Creates a hollow trunk. When the original tree dies and rots away, it leaves behind a hollow cavity inside the strangler fig's roots. Sometimes this hollow is so big that animals can live inside it.

Common in the tropics. Strangler figs grow in warm tropical forests around the world, and they're related to the banyan tree, which is famous for its massive spreading roots and branches.