According to my friends from Bali, one of the safest places in an earthquake or during a big storm is to be protected by a Banyan tree. Many cultures and religions believe that the Banyan tree is sacred. The Bo
According to my friends from Bali, one of the safest places in an earthquake or during a big storm is to be protected by a Banyan tree. Many cultures and religions believe that the Banyan tree is sacred. The Bo tree or Ficus religiosa that is revered by Buddhists is one example. Some believe that for a soul to migrate from this existence to the next, it must travel through a banyan. Of course then there are some who think of banyans as weeds. But before destroying a banyan, one should consider a majority of folks in the world do revere the banyan, and — if the least bit superstitious — one should think twice before doing tree hacking!
There are almost 500 species of Ficus, including several species of banyan and, of course, the edible fig. None are native to Hawaii, but many species have been introduced over the years. Some of the most spectacular are found on Banyan drive in Hilo, or the spectacular banyans at Hulihee Palace and King Kamehameha Hotel in Kona. None can rival some found in tropical Asia that are hundreds of years old and cover thousands of square feet. The common rubber plant, Ficus elastica, and Chinese Banyan, Ficus benjamina, are cute little house plants, but when planted in a tropical garden, they can become giants, so be careful where you plant them!
It was around a decade ago that the famous Banyan tree at Banyans surfing spot was killed. We don’t know who did it or why, but recent efforts to remove some Banyan trees on Hilo’s famous Banyan Drive and to do major pruning of the great old trees at Kailua Bay were a painful reminder of what can happen if we aren’t attentive.
I wonder how many trees will need to be planted to make up for the loss of trees destroyed every year by folks who don’t care. Back to the surfers’ tree, I was really happy to see that the new one planted in its place is alive and healthy. Surrounded by the Kona Bali Kai Condominium, the original tree was probably one of the largest of its kind in Hawaii. The seeds were said to have been brought by a ship captain after visiting Moreton Bay on the east coast of Australia, where it is known as the Moreton Bay Fig, or Ficus macropylla.
No one knows the exact age of the tree, but it was well into its second century of life. Most Kona folks loved the old landmark tree. It was actually nominated as a horticultural treasure by the Hawaii County Exceptional Tree Committee and was one of those special trees to be protected for future generations to enjoy. Unfortunately, there were a few who complained about the maintenance of falling leaves and even the noise that roosting Mynah birds made in the morning when some folks like to sleep late.
Besides, some complained it blocked the view.
Well, the old tree is dead now, and if some had their way, the area would have quickly been paved over for additional parking.
Fortunately, the Kona Outdoor Circle, the Hawaiian community, surfers and others helped by replacing the old giant with one of its offspring growing nearby. Of course, it will be a century before the young tree will reach the great dimensions of its ancestor. When you get a chance, stop by the Banyans surfing spot to visit that young tree.
What happened to kill that fine old tree? Some blame the shock of severely butchering the tree as the cause. The point is, that it takes a long time to grow a tree, and a short time to destroy one. Improper pruning could cause quite a shock to a tree and possibly its demise. Careful pruning is vital and will need to be carefully monitored if it is to be done on the King Kamehameha Hotel tree.
Examples of over-pruning or “hat racking” can be seen all over our island. Very often, it causes the long-term demise of a tree. We need to protect these great old historic trees in our communities. Some places require permits before any potentially harmful work can be done. It is something our County Council and mayor might consider.
In the meantime, you can avoid involuntary tree slaughter by knowing and applying proper pruning methods in your own garden.
By proper pruning, you can increase light availability to understory plants. Since some light is essential to plant vigor, it is a good idea to open up those heavy canopied trees. Even if you were careful to select the right trees for your yard, and shade lovers for underneath, there comes a time when you have to consider pruning.
Whatever the natural form is in the beginning, it should be maintained, and this means individual handling of each problem. Trees should be pruned to remove enough of the canopy to allow gale force winds through the tree. Most tree experts agree that heavily topped or “hat-racked” trees will be more susceptible to damage due to disease and insect attacks in the long run, so this practice is not recommended.
When it comes to palms, excessive removal of leaves is also a bad practice. Large fruited types like the coconut may have fruit and inflorescences removed. Removing too many leaves will actually weaken the tree in the long run and cause a condition called “pencil top”.
Some knowledge of pruning is necessary for the gardener who does his own work. A good set of pruning tools is necessary, including a pair of side-cutters for removing twigs and small branches. You will also need a pair of loppers for cutting branches up to three-fourths inch in diameter, a pruning saw, a tree pruner on a pole, and in wet areas of the island, water-proof paint for covering wounds. Painting wounds is controversial, but it does tend to minimize fungus rot and insect invasion in some high-risk situations.
Pruning should be done for a purpose, such as to maintain shape, remove diseased or awkward branches, or to reduce the size of a vigorous grower, like a Ficus tree.
Pruning becomes an important chore for several reasons. Trees that respond to day length and bloom during the winter or spring months should be pruned lightly through the summer months. Heavy pruning may expose branches to sunburn and dying of damaged bark later.
Occasionally, cool season can be wet or windy, especially if we get one of those nasty storms. Trees that are likely to be damaged during periods of high winds should be pruned to decrease damage caused by the storms.
Of course, weak and diseased branches and twigs should be removed at any time noted. Citrus trees may be gone over lightly two or three times a year. Such pruning is done from the inside. Dead wood and “water shoots” or suckers should be removed as they appear. When a weak or unwanted branch is removed, it discourages disease and insect damage.
The bottom line when it comes to pruning, is that if the job is a big one and you aren’t sure about what you are doing, then hire a professional. Be sure that they have insurance and that they are a certified arborist. Pruning is dangerous. If someone gets hurt, you may find it is much more expensive than you could possibly imagine.
Much of the pruning that has occurred recently has been to clear trees away from utility wires like on Palani Road in Kona. Unfortunately, it is difficult to mix the two, but in many parts of the mainland, careful pruning is shown to consider safety and be tree friendly.
Miami is a good example. Folks there know that shade trees make life more comfortable and beautiful for the residents and visitors.
We have a great opportunity in West Hawaii to add lots of beautiful shade trees on our newly built highways that are free of competing utilities. Recent plantings of rainbow showers, monkeypods and kou in Kailua are a good start, be we need an all out effort by residents, county and state to assure a more comfortable and beautiful environment. Besides, we are doing our little part add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide and pollutants.
Ideally, an island that depends on beauty to attract visitors should place more value on trees than we do. In the long run, placing utilities out of the way of tree-lined streets would solve the problem. So far, we have put utilities first and eliminated trees, but it is obvious that this does not make our streets very attractive. The utility companies are concerned and want to work with the public, but it will take some creative planning and implementation to achieve cool shady communities. Work with your local politicians, Hawaii Island Landscape Association and join to support one of the Outdoor Circles to see if we can do a better job to make our island clean, green and beautiful.
