Strangler fig

Strangler fig is the common name for a number of tropical and subtropical plant species in the genus Ficus, including those that are commonly known as banyans.

[1][failed verification] This growth habit is an adaptation for growing in dark forests where the competition for light is intense.

These plants are hemiepiphytes, spending the first part of their life without rooting into the ground.

Their seeds, often bird-dispersed, germinate in crevices atop other trees.

[4] However, it is also believed that the strangler fig can help its support tree survive storms.