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Heritage Trees of Singapore
CentralBurmese Banyan2011

Burmese Banyan (HT 2011-184)

This Heritage Tree can be found in Singapore Botanic Gardens, between Swan Lake & Marsh Garden.

A large, dense tree with deep green foliage stands beside a calm pond, with a stone path leading to it.

📷: Heritage Tree Secretariat

Heritage Tree Information

Reference ID
HT 2011-184

Scientific name: Ficus kurzii
Family name: Moraceae
Girth: 15 m @ 1.3 m height
Height: 22 m

Location
Singapore Botanic Gardens, between Swan Lake & Marsh Garden (View Map) (opens in new tab)

The Burmese Banyan is a rare strangler fig species that is distributed in scattered locations of India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. It can reach up to 30 m in height and a wide, spreading crown. It produces numerous aerial roots that eventually develop into pillar roots. Ripe figs are dark cherry red, purple or near black in colour. However, fruits from this species usually develop without seeds; this could be due to it not being on its native land and the absence of its associated fig wasp.

Thought to be as old as Singapore Botanic Gardens, this Heritage Tree was depicted in old paintings of the Gardens. Some of the Gardens Herbarium staff had mentioned that they used to play around this Heritage Tree when they were children in the 1930s.

For more information on this species, please refer to NParks' Flora & Fauna Web profile. (opens in new tab)