The banyan tree is an unusual tree that grows in many countries of the world including India, Indonesia, China, Macau, Taiwan, various African countries, and places in the Caribbean and North America. From the center of the tree, broad branches move outward, sprouting aerial roots that hang down. Once these vine-like roots reach the ground below, they become trunks, nourishing and supporting further growth of the tree. It is constantly expanding, growing more in circumference than in height. The largest banyan tree is said to be on the island of Ceylon, with 350 large trunks and more than 3,000 small ones.
Banyan leaves are heart-shape and always green.
Roots are used to make tent poles and cart yokes. Bark and hanging roots furnish coarse fiber for rope making. Villages sometimes form around the edges of a banyan tree, so the tree becomes an important part of daily life. Many activities occur beneath a banyan's branches. People display produce, baskets, pottery and other products for sale.