It winds around the original tree, growing branches that rob the host of sunlight. Its roots spread underground, depriving the host of nutrients and water. As the banyan grows, more “prop roots ...

The banyan tree is special because of how it spreads out, not how tall or thick it gets. Instead of growing upward from one main trunk, it uses hanging roots that drop from its branches.

The banyan tree’s aerial prop roots grow vertically downward, forming additional trunks that fuel its growth. Found in the dense forests of Meghalaya, these bridges are made from the roots of ...

“It might have reserves that the tree can pull out.” Wireless electronic sensors monitoring the banyan’s movement of water and nutrients from roots to limbs have been transmitting ...