A huge banyan tree charred by the wildfires in Maui is sprouting new green leaves, giving hope all was not completely lost in the flames.
The 150-year-old cultural landmark dominates the courthouse square on Lahaina\u2019s famous Front Street.
The tree was planted in 1873, and is the largest one of its kind in the US, raising more than 60 feet.
The historic tree, part of the fig family, gives the illusion of being multiple trees due to its ability to develop accessory trunks from its roots, allowing it to spread out. It currently has about 46 major trunks.
\u2018A sign of new beginnings\u2019
It is commonly referred to as a gathering place for Lahaina residents, serving as a hub for tourists, festivals, and even wedding proposals.
Landscaping business owner Chris Imonti said the banyan Tree has been an iconic figure in Lahaina for more than a century, and seeing the leaves grow means a lot to the community.
\u201cPeople see it as a sign of hope,\u201d Imonti said. \u201cA sign of new beginnings.\u201d
Imonti has been working with Hawaii\u2019s state arborist, Steve Nimz, along with a team of volunteers to help preserve the Banyan tree.
\u201cI would say about 75% of the tree right now is showing new growth, and we\u2019re really happy about that,\u201d Imonti said.
\u201cThe northeast corner of the tree got most of the heat so we\u2019re still monitoring that part of the tree pretty closely,\u201d he noted.
During the fire, the soil became extremely hot, which altered the ground\u2019s ability to absorb water, according to the landscaper.
Volunteers and local contractors have been pouring more than 5,000 gallons of water on the tree daily, in an attempt to rehydrate the roots.
And compost tea, an organic liquid compost nutrient, is helping water penetrate the scorched dirt.
\u201cWe put that on the soil to stimulate root growth as well as create a very stable soil structure,\u201d Imonti said.
\u2018The tree is like your only compass in town\u2019
The wildfires destroyed most of Lahaina, leaving a community of more than 13,000 people with little or nothing to salvage. The flames burned down homes, businesses, and displaced more than half of Lahaina\u2019s residents.
\u201cNow, when you look around, you don\u2019t have any landmarks,\u201d Imonti told CNN. \u201cThe tree is like your only compass in town.\u201d
The banyan tree isn\u2019t the only tree local volunteers are working to save.
\u201cWe\u2019re also taking care of a lot of other historical trees in Lahaina,\u201d Imonti added.
One of them is the Kumu \u2018ulu tree, which is connected to the legend of Ku, the Hawaiian god of farming and fishing, who transformed into a Kumu ulu tree to feed his family during a famine. The tree produces the breadfruit, \u2018ulu, a popular island nutrient.
\u201cBut most of them have been charred pretty badly,\u201d Imonti noted. \u201cI mean, everything is gone,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe\u2019re running around watering a few trees in town and that\u2019s all that\u2019s left.\u201d
Meanwhile, residents are returning to the scorched grounds where their homes once stood.
\u201cEverybody really has to rebuild their lives,\u201d Imonti said, which comes with \u201ca whole other wave of sadness for families.\u201d
And while preserving the trees is important to the island\u2019s culture and peace of mind, Imonti acknowledged it is not a top priority for many locals at the moment.
\u201cI think the tree is the last thing on a lot of people\u2019s minds right now,\u201d the landscaper admitted.
But he hopes the tree \u201ccan be a good vehicle for change,\u201d and continue to be a sign of hope for the long road of recovery that lies ahead of Lahaina.
The town \u201chas to be redesigned and it\u2019s gonna take years,\u201d Imonti told CNN. \u201cGive us time to heal and hopefully this tree will come back to life and we can start moving forward in a positive way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n