The strangler fig is one of the most amazing lianas. Seeds dropped by birds germinate on a branch. From the seedling, shoots grow out and around the main trunk of a host tree. Ever-tightening, these tendrils encircle the trunk, cutting into the bark, and block vital cellular water channels. Doomed, the victim is eventually enshrouded under tightly woven roots and stems. After several years the host tree dies and decays leaving behind the shell of the living fig tree. This strategy allows the fig to grow to canopy level much quicker than if it had to wait for the light and warmth created by a forest gap.
