The Banyan Trees of Kakeroma Island

The Banyan（ガジュマル） is a large, evergreen tree found in the tropical area. In Japan, they are distributed over the islands of Kagoshima（鹿児島の離島）and Okinawa. Banyan trees also grow in abundance on Kakeroma Island（加計呂麻島）. Starting life on the crown of a host tree as an epiphyte, its roots, commonly called “aerial roots”, grow downwards, wrapping around the stem of the host tree, fusing to form a pseudo-trunk. The intertwining of the aerial roots with the branches and trunk gives the Banyan tree a mystical appearance.