The seeds of banyans are dispersed by fruit eating birds. The seeds are small and most banyans grow in forests so that a plant germinating from a seed that lands on the ground is unlikely to survive. However many seeds land on branches and stems of trees. When those seeds germinate they send roots down towards the ground, and may envelop part of the host tree or building structure, giving banyans the casual name of “strangler fig”. This tree is spectacular and is one of the most beautiful shaped examples I’ve seen.