Amazing trees - Ficus benghalensis - Brisbane City Botanic Gardens

Ficus benghalensis - planted in the 1870 and a native to India, the Banyan fig acquired its name from the Hindu merchant castle, the Banyans, who set up their stalls under the shelter of this expansive tree. It is renowned for its vast growth and sends down aerial roots to support the large branches. These roots eventually develop into a new trunk and so the tree speads one in India covering 1,5 ha with over 1,000 subsidiary trunks.
A Hindu belief was that the Brahma was turned into a Banyan Tree and his spirit lives on in these trees. Because of this belief they are encouraged to grow and are rarely pruned even though Banyans can cause damage to Temples and buildings.