In a park in downtown St. Petersburg, FL, were two trees from another world, trees that belonged in the jungles of India with monkeys swinging from their branches. My husband and I who had been passing the time as we waited to see a movie downtown, approached the sight with a sort of reverence.

Trunk of the Banyan Tree with carvingsCorrinne Brubaker

The tree had many different trunks and roots wound together. There were also long branches hanging down from the tree. They were hanging low enough we could touch them. My husband grabbed one and said, "look, they're roots."

Banyan Tree RootsCorrinne Brubaker

He was right. I thought they resembled roots. At the end of the vine-like branches were many strands that looked like roots. It turns out they were roots. The Banyan tree is an aerial plant. It begins growing in the air until the new roots can reach the ground and attach to the soil. The tree continues to grow and spread this way, creating its dense maze-like structure.

I wondered how old this plant was. By its size, it appeared ancient, but there was not just one trunk to reference its age like you can with other trees, even the central trunk was a combination of many smaller trunks intertwined.

Seeing this unique, magnificent tree was nothing short of an honor. An accidental honor that we had stumbled upon, a jungle tree thriving in the middle of a city. Tall sparkling hotels and condominiums stood as an odd backdrop for the tree, but the tree seemed proud to be there and call the city it's home.

The tree's sprawling ancient roots that rippled over the ground looked like a great place to sit. So, I sat for a moment on the smooth, sturdy surface. The tree was as welcoming as it looked.

Banyan TreeCorrinne Brubaker