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Banyan Trees And Boat Rides

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 24, 2008

A banyan tree and a boat ride vied for the favorite part of a recent Freedom Plaza excursion to Ft. Myers. They both had stiff competition from the other attractions: a sumptuous meal on the Seminole Gulf Coast dinner train; the delicious dessert bar at Broadway Palms Dinner theater and an excellent staging of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas." But Mother Nature's influence tipped the scales.

She outdid herself in providing a glorious sunset over water to initiate a boat trip through the Intracoastal Waterway at Punta Gorda. Both waterfront homes and boats are brilliantly illuminated with holiday lights, some displays reflecting joint efforts of neighborhoods. That pleasant cruise got many votes.

However, Mother Nature triumphed again in creating the banyan tree and one banyan tree in particular: the gargantuan specimen gracing the entrance to the Edison-Ford Estates. It was a mere four-foot high sapling when presented to Thomas Edison by his friend, Harvey Firestone, in 1925. Native to India, the tree (ficus benghalenis) perpetuates and extends itself by dropping tendrils to the ground, where they take root and become additional trees, though having only one main trunk. The Edison banyan, with a whole forest of tendril trees, covers an entire acre and is understood to be the second largest tree in the world. Though is roots are displacing the paved parking lot, there is no thought of disturbing the tree. The parking lot, and even several building, if necessary, will be moved, instead. "That's what Mr. Edison would have done" is the rationale behind that decision.

Just when the Freedom Plaza travelers though they had made their final choice among trip attractions, they were presented with yet another example of Mother Nature's bounty - this in a display of sea shells covering several acres at the Ft. Myers Shell Factory. Every known type of shell in the world is represented and many are for sale, made into artifacts such as lamps and jewelry.

So what attraction was finally pronounced the winner on the Ft. Myers excursion? Was it the plentiful and delicious food, the comfortable accommodations at Marriott's Courtyard Motel, the boat trip or the banyan tree? None of the above. Everyone agreed that the winners were they, themselves, for choosing to go!

Peggy Burgess is the creative director for Freedom Plaza.

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