Lahaina's banyan tree tackles insect infestation
Mar. 10—The section of the tree along Wharf Street suffered the most damage from the August wildfire.
The scorched banyan tree in the heart of fire-ravaged Lahaina is battling an insect infestation but is still generating new growth.
Steve Nimz, the longtime arborist overseeing the recovery of the gigantic 150-year-old tree said certified arborists have removed about a third of the dead wood infested by the twig borer, a type of beetle, last week.
The section of the tree along Wharf Street, the side of the town square near the former Pioneer Inn, suffered the most damage from the August wildfire, Nimz said. (The iconic tree is bordered by Front, Hotel, Canal and Wharf streets.)
The aerial roots of the main trunk extend across nearly two acres and have developed into separate trees that sometimes have the ability to live disconnected from the mother tree, he explained.
"We took out a major section of the tree, a good third, " he said, among other treatments to prevent further infestation.
He likened the banyan, which symbolizes hope in the recovering community, to a patient with a weak immune system who is exceedingly vulnerable to disease, or a coma victim on life support.
"We're trying to build up its immune system but there's only so much we can do. ... It's up to the tree now. We've done everything we can, " he said, referring to consultations with mainland and local arborists, and following the most modern procedures available.
There is also positive news.
About a third of the tree's greenery has returned and the main trunk is healthy, Nimz said. A team of experts on Maui is constantly monitoring the tree with sensors that can measure water absorption and detect other problems. An organic "compost tea " is applied to almost the entire area every two or three months, followed by testing soil samples.
"Twig borers started within two weeks after the fire, " said Lahaina project manager Duane Sparkman in an email. "They are all over the town breaking down the burnt trees, a totally natural progression of the tree life cycle."
About two months ago, Sparkman said, his team installed 10 "air layers " around the stems to propagate new tree growth, and have harvested the fledgling trees to grow larger in pots for use in county and state parks or around the historic banyan.
