Photos courtesy Misty Nabers Nichols

threat

The high winds, salt spray, and tidal flooding of hurricanes and tropical storms are continued threatsto the trees. Additionally, the trees are heavily impacted by the stagnant floodwaters that can pond in and around the trees for days after a storm. Along with tropical storms, freezes and frosts can be detrimental to the survival of even the mature banyan trees. During the 1990s, a major drop in temperature caused such significant leaf drop that heavy equipment had to be brought in to remove the debris.