Do Strangler Figs kill the tree they grow on?
The Strangler Fig grows from a seed that is deposited in the dropping of a bird or animal in a niche in the host tree. It shoots upwards to form a canopy of leaves and roots grow downwards to reach the nutrients and water of the soil. The Strangler Fig is not parasitic and because it does not invade the tissues of the host tree, it does not directly harm it. It certainly does not “strangle” its host. Over a number of years however it will be competing with the host tree for water and light. In some cases the Fig wins this competition, resulting in the death of the host tree.
