What is a banyan?
Q: What is a banyan?
A: A banyan is a kind of fig tree, usually referring to the Indian banyan or Ficus benghalensis.
Q: How does a banyan start life?
A: Banyans typically start life by growing on another plant as an epiphyte, with its seeds germinating in the cracks and crevices of host trees, buildings, or bridges.
Q: What is the national tree of India and Bangladesh?
A: The Indian banyan (Ficus benghalensis) is the National Tree of both India and Bangladesh.
Q: How are banyans dispersed?
A: Banyans are dispersed by fruit-eating birds who eat their seeds and spread them elsewhere.
Q: What type of growth habit do some species of Ficus have?
A: Some species of Ficus have a growth habit known as "strangler figs," where their roots may envelop part of the host tree or building structure from which they get their name.
Q: What shape are the leaves on a banyan tree?
A: The leaves on a banyan tree are large, leathery, glossy green, and elliptical in shape.
Q: How do figs reproduce?
A: Fig trees rely on fig wasps for reproduction; they have unique fruit structures that require this type of pollination to produce new plants.
