Existing comment:
The Banyan Tree was a gift of Harvey S. Firestone. He brought it to Edison after a trip to Indian. When it was planted in 1925, it was only four feet tall and two inches in diameter.
Ficus beaghalensis, by its Latin name, the banyan is native to India. There it is called the "Walking tree" because of its massive support roots, which "walk" away from the center of the tree.
Edison's banyan is the largest of its species in the state of Florida, with a circumference of over 400 feet. It was designed state champion tree in 1980. |