Light Amidst Tragedy: Lahaina Tree Restoration
Posted on Sep. 5, 2023 / Arboriculture / Subscribe 0
By: Ilana Nimz & Hannah Lutgen
September 1, 2023
Note: This is a botanical article, and our purpose is not to judge the relative value of the Banyan in Lahaina compared to other damages and losses. Our purpose is to report on the efforts to save trees after a devastating fire, and we leave the judgment of its relative value to those with more historical and political expertise.
There are no words to express the immense devastation that recently occurred in Maui. In August 2023, catastrophic wildfires fueled by hurricane-force winds and a high-pressure system ripped through Olinda, Kula, Pulehu, and Lahaina. These wildfires and strong winds destroyed homes, gardens, crops, businesses, infrastructure, communities, and historical sites: impacting thousands of individuals if not the entire island. Thousands of people have lost their homes and everything they own. The ultimate tragedy is the heartbreaking loss of lives in Lahaina. Even the loss of a town is nothing compared to the loss of human life. We are all irrevocably changed.
Despite this horrific disaster, the community is resilient and determined to revive the rich culture & history of Maui, including the iconic and Maui County Exceptional Trees: the Indian Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) and the ‘Ulu (Atrocarpus altilis) trees, and other culturally significant trees that were damaged in Lahaina.
Although both trees were damaged by the fires, a team of arborists and community members are working to recover them. Steve Nimz is the lead arborist for the recovery of Lahaina’s trees, and he has established a team of experts from near and far to consult on the treatment plan. On the ground, local companies and organizations including Prometheus Construction, Goodfellow Bros., Lahaina Restoration Foundation, Island Plant Company, Naholowa’a Earth Works, and Chris Imonti, are volunteering substantial time and resources to preserving the Banyan, ‘ulu, and other trees that may have survived the fire. Time will tell if these trees will recover, but people and organizations worldwide have offered their products and services to help.
Lahaina ‘Ulu Trees
Several trees in the vicinity are on the Maui County Exceptional Tree list and are treasured within the community. Jesse Neizman and Kalapana Kollars of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation shared a wealth of knowledge about Lahaina Town, and its history with trees.
Before the famed Banyan existed, Lahaina was a lush wetland area, and renowned for ‘ulu (breadfruit) trees. An ‘Olelo No‘eau affirms “Lahaina i ka malu ‘ulu o Lele” – Lahaina lies in the shade of the breadfruit trees of Lele (the old name for Lahaina). Kollars describes that vast groves of ‘ulu once grew in the area, and people could walk across town and be constantly shaded by the ‘ulu trees. The trees not only cooled the climate, but also fed the thriving community.
The Exceptional Trees of Maui County listing “M-9, Breadfruit (Ulu) Artocarpus altilis, a tree planted by Rev. Dwight D. Baldwin in the early 1800s” does not thoroughly capture the significance of this tree’s legacy and its importance to the Lahaina Community. Kollars and Neizman suggest this tree may be truly named “Puloa” and is an offspring of the ancient grove of Lele. The tree was planted as part of a lush garden behind the Baldwin Home, which is now the oldest house standing on Maui. The tree’s more recent decades were lived squeezed between the Baldwin Home Museum’s parking lot and Luakini St. in a small planter space. While the tree’s trunk and canopy did not survive the recent fire, ‘ulu are persistent. Quite possibly, the asphalt could have saved the tree’s root structure from fire damage, meaning suckers may still develop from the ancient tree’s roots.
Even though the Banyan gets the media spotlight, a team of arborists and community members are dedicated to reviving other trees across Lahaina, including Puloa’s offspring. On August 23, 2023, Prometheus Construction removed the asphalt around the trunk and Naholowa’a Earth Works & Chris Imonti added compost tea to the soil to provide beneficial microorganisms to the ‘ulu. Goodfellow Bros. have added this ‘ulu to their map of additional trees to provide supplemental water around Lahaina Town. The stage has been set, and now the water and microorganisms will get to work on reviving the root structure.
The kupuna ‘ulu tree still stands with dignity, even though the trunk is charred. The Lahaina Restoration Foundation will facilitate saving the pieces from the trunk and placing them into the hands of trusted woodworkers. These makers can create beautiful art that will honor the legacy of Lahaina’s ‘ulu groves and Puloa. While rebuilding Lahaina will take many years, beginning planting efforts now will improve soil health, air quality, and restore life to a charred landscape. Returning trees and wetlands to Lahaina will contribute to buffering the community against a warming climate. Let’s envision Lahaina beneath the shade of ‘ulu trees once again.
Figure 1. An 'ulu' tree was damaged by the Lahaina fire in August 2023.
Figure 2.
Lahaina Banyan Tree
The Lahaina Banyan has been growing at the Lahaina Courthouse Square for 150 years and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On April 24, 1873, Sheriff William O. Smith, born in Hawaii, descended from an American missionary family, planted the tree to honor the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission in Lahaina. Smith was the attorney general representing Maui to the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom and participated in the overthrow of the Kingdom in 1893. This connection between the tree and the man who planted it has not been forgotten by the lineal descendants of Lahaina, or by other Native Hawaiians.
Over the many decades, the Banyan has spread over an acre with graceful branches emanating from a single trunk. The tree’s form is a collaboration between nature and the residents of Lahaina who have lovingly cared for and shaped the tree. The tree’s size, aesthetics, and historical value earned it a coveted spot on the Maui County list of Exceptional Trees and a special honor from the National Arborist Association in 1982. While the connection to Smith will always remain, the tree has arguably transformed beyond the intention of the person who planted it and become a gathering space for the community. People throughout Hawaiʻi and beyond our shores have memories of their experience being in the presence of the awe-inspiring Lahaina Banyan. The tree is now a symbol of Lahaina and has fostered worldwide connections to this special location.
Many people wondered what the fate of the iconic Banyan would be following the fire. Local contracting company Prometheus Construction facilitated a rapid tree assessment by Steve Nimz, Consulting Arborist for Tree Solutions Hawaiʻi, three days after the fire. Before work began on the tree assessment and recovery, Kumu Kapono Kamaunu, who grew up in Lahaina, blessed the site and the tree. Nimz inspected the canopy with an aerial lift and found the leaves and fruit were brown, shriveled, and desiccated, and the upper branch tips were dead. Nimz also inspected all of the trunk and aerial roots, and found the two aerial roots and branches on the corner of Front St. and the Pioneer Inn were significantly damaged. The remaining aerial roots were not charred and had live cambium tissue with minimal sap flow. Most of the wooden benches beneath the tree’s canopy survived the fire, suggesting it did not burn as hot under the tree. In a news interview, Nimz shared that “the live tissue in the banyan indicates the tree has the potential to survive, though the tree will require additional and consistent care for many months, especially during the hot and dry summer and early fall”. With the hope of the tree’s survival, a recovery plan was developed in consultation with expert Arborists in Hawaiʻi, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and beyond.
Nimz and a dedicated team are currently implementing a tree care plan that addresses the tree from its roots to its shoots. Goodfellow Bros. are providing daily water trucks to water the tree’s many branches and roots. Water quality is being tested, and soil moisture is monitored daily. Island Plant Company is developing plans for a potential irrigation system.
Peter Bunn is analyzing the soil and comparing it to his historic soil samples from 20 years ago. The Prometheus Construction crew used air spades to reduce the soil compaction beneath the canopy and improve the drainage. Chris Imonti brewed 600 gallons of compost tea and with Naholowa’a Earth Works, they dispersed the tea across the soil to reintroduce beneficial microorganisms and provide nutrients. Mulch and compost will be forthcoming.
Changes in the tree’s trunk, canopy, and roots will be monitored by a team of qualified arborists. ePlant has donated 20 sensors to place throughout the tree to measure changes in the tree’s cambium. As the conditions change, the plan will be adapted to meet the needs of what the tree requires for recovery. Exciting new developments are already happening. Just three weeks after the fire, Allison Wright of Island Plant Company reported new root growth and mycorrhizal activity. On August 31, 2023, Steve Nimz and the team reported new leaves sprouting out of the Banyan trunk (see Figure 6). Rest assured, with the help of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation the tree recovery team is dedicating the same level of care to multiple trees in Lahaina including the exceptional Banyan, Ulu, and other historic and culturally significant trees that have the potential to survive.
As Nimz says, “The tree is going to tell us what it needs. We are going to be listening to the tree.”
To read Steve Nimz’s full report, click here
Figure 3. Esteemed arborist Steve Nimz gives an update on Lahaina's Banyan tree. KITV4 Island News.
Figure 4. Steve Nimz aerating the soil.
Figure 5. Standing under the burned canopy as Goodfellow Bros. water the tree from a large truck with water cannons.
Figure 6. On 8/31/23, Steve Nimz and the team reported new leaves sprouting out of the Banyan trunk. Photo credit: Cliff Tillotson, Prometheus Construction.
The natural disaster that occurred in Maui in August 2023 will forever impact the community: the grieving and loss are inconceivable. Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with individuals, families, and all people near and far affected by this tragedy. In light of these painful times, the Maui community is strong and devoted to restoring this beautiful island.
References:
Jesse Niezman and Kalapana Kollars (2023, August 18). Lahaina Restoration Foundation. email correspondence to Steve & Illana Nimz.
Lahaina Restoration Foundation. (2023, May 5).
Exceptional Trees Maui County. (n.d.).
Ilana Nimz is a Registered Consulting Arborist and wildlife biologist for her family company Tree Solutions Hawaii.
Hannah Lutgen, Maui County Landscape and Floriculture Extension Faculty Member, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
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