The Banyan

This massive tree on Edison's Florida estate occupies an acre of ground.

Filed under: Trees

The Edison banyan — part of it, that is.

What tree takes up almost an acre of ground and has more trunks than a herd of elephants? It's the banyan tree that resides on the Thomas Edison estate in Fort Myers, Fla.

There are dozens of types of banyans and they come in all sizes. The Edison banyan is the third-largest in the world.

Instead of growing underground, the banyan roots sprout from branches. As they take in water and food, they strengthen, dropping to the ground to form a sort of prop for the limb. Eventually these roots become a firm part of the tree.

The first roots are delicate and hair-like and drop to the ground like strands of spaghetti.

The first banyan tree in the United States, it was given to Edison by Harvey Firestone after Firestone visited India in 1925. Originally, the tree was 4 feet tall.