150-Year-Old Banyan Tree That 'Meant Everything' to Many Still Standing After Maui Fires

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Hawaii Governor Josh Green toldCBS Newsthat although the tree isn’t producing as much sap as it usually does, it is “still breathing” and absorbing water. “It’s like a burn victim itself,” Green said. “Traumatized, much like the town.”

The Lahaina Restoration Foundationsaid that the tree was planted on April 24, 1873, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the town’s first Protestant mission. Since then, the tree, now-over 60 feet tall, has become the focal point of the courthouse square in the heart of Lahaina.

“Over the years, the Lahaina Banyan Tree has come to serve many functions,” the foundation said. “First of all, it’s a great place to relax. Several benches are scattered under the large canopy to rest tired feet after a long day of sightseeing and shopping. It’s a favorite for taking photos. The long, undulating branches and stringy roots make for interesting backdrops.”

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Eman Nobel, who visits Lahaina every summer with her extended family of 14, says her 6-year-old twins and 11-year-old daughter “grew up in Lahaina Town and sitting under the banyan tree,” and tells PEOPLE that it “meant everything” to her family.

According to CBS News, an arborist told Green on Sunday that the tree will try to “generate new growth and buds on branches,” which can happen even if the tree has dead branches.

“Our branches are very badly burned, and it’s going to take a really, really long time until everything feels normal,” she says. “But the roots are so strong here.”

source: people.com