Banyan Trees - Very Interesting, But Also Kind Of Spooky

I am not much of an expert when it comes to nature. I have seen trees like the ones in the photograph on the left all over the place here in Florida, but did not know their name. I wound up researching them on the internet and finally discovered that they were banyan trees. This photograph was taken on Southeast St. Lucie Boulevard here in Stuart. If I had paid more attention, I might have noticed that one of the cross streets going through there is called Bent Banyan, and a subdivision nearby is called Banyan Tree Estates. Plus, if I had just looked at a map on Google, I would have found Bayan Tree Tunnel clearly marked on it. I assume I must be slowly losing it. If I ever had it to begin with. And by the way, my sister Susan calls this block Halloween Street and feels it would make a great site for a Halloween block party.

There is another block of banyan trees in Hobe Sound, which you pass through right before you reach Jupiter Island, home of the ultra-rich and evidently ultra shy, judging by the very high hedges and very long and curving driveways that hide their multi-million-dollar oceanfront mansions. In any case, this past October there were a series of tornados than spun off from the remnants of Hurricane Milton that hit the east coast of Florida, including one that went right down this very street, seen in the photograph on the right. Many of these trees were uprooted, and there was concern they would be lost forever. Crews were immediately sent out to try and save them. They replanted those banyans, propped them up, and were able to restore the street to the way it was. An environmental victory in a very environmentally threatened state.