Banyan, Ficus benghalensis
The Moraceae, the mulberry, fig family
Vita: 10/10 Gnarl: 10/10 Wildness: 2/10 Accessibility: 10/10 Sensitivity: 3/10
Country: West Bengal, India -- Whereabouts: In the Howrah Botanical Gardens near Kolkata
What we love about this tree:
One of the world's most spectacular examples of vegetation and also renowned across India as a natural landmark
If you are in Kolkata in the east of India, make sure to make the trip across the Hoohghly River to Howrah to discover the quiet green surroundings of the Indian Botanical Gardens. Planted in 1787 by British colonialists, it is now run by the Indian Botanical Survey and is a centre of expertise in an incredibly biodiverse region. It was measured via aerial photo in 2010 and has a crown spread of 199 metres, and covers 20,000 square metres.
Meet another tree:
We've worked with or appeared in:
We acknowledge the long human history of Tasmania and pay our respects to the Tasmanian Aboriginal communities.
Direct booking link is here. Contribute to our citizen science efforts at iNaturalist. Discover the biodiversity of the Giant Forests of Tasmania via our downloadable iNaturalist Field Guide. Email us at hello@giant-trees.com. Tell the world about these giant trees at TripAdvisor. Read our story of how we began. Meet ambassador trees we know and love. Learn about and book your place on an Expedition.
© Giant Tree Expeditions. Learn more about our media & writing portfolio at Outreach Ecology. You might enjoy reading about our lovely island at Tasmanian Geographic.