Strangler Figs

Before Christmas break, one of our friends, Paty, who is also a biologist, took us on a walk behind the Institute to show us some of the strangler figs.  Strangler figs are so named because they "strangle" the trees around which they grow. Beginning as epiphytes that germinate in the tops of trees, the strangler figs slowly grows roots downward.  As the fig's roots crawl downward, the fig simultaneously grows upward towards the sun, always using the host (or support) tree as a base.  The host tree, when enveloped by the strangler fig, sometimes dies - often because it can no longer obtain sufficient sunlight.  Eventually, the dead support tree rots away and the space where the host tree once existed is left vacant, creating a hollow column.  It is possible to climb up through the inside of some strangler figs, which is what we did.  Ernesto and Paty climbed up to the top of several figs, which were probably four stories high. I made it about two stories before I decided I'd gone far enough.

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The picture above shows Ernesto after he emerged out of the hollow tubing and into the canopy branches.

This was the tree that Ernesto and Paty were able to climb to the top of, though there were others that you could climb at least partially.

Ernesto climbing upward through the hollow column left when the support tree died.