The 46-trunk banyan tree, called paniana in Hawaiian, was just an 8-foot sapling when it was planted in 1873 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission in Lahaina town. It was planted a quarter century before the Hawaiian Islands became a US territory and seven decades after King Kamehameha declared Lahaina the capital of his kingdom. Ring by ring, the tree has captured history. It celebrated its 150th birthday in April this year.
Standing more than 60-feet-high in front of the Lahaina courthouse and the harbour, the sprawling tree covers the size of an entire city block. Its leafy canopy has shaded townsfolk and tourists alike from the Hawaiian sun. Events and art exhibits often have been held under its boughs.
While its condition is unclear, images suggest that the tree has been burned but remains standing. The town’s website suggested the tree would recover, saying that “if the roots are healthy, it will likely grow back.” “It’s really very hard to kill a banyan tree,” Theo Morrison, the executive director of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, told BBC. “I would be very surprised if it wasn’t fine,” she said.