strangler fig

• strangler figs are adapted to use other trees as support in reaching sunlight for photosynthesis
• they are very large and can grow up to 60 feet and often emerge above the canopy layer
• they provide a shelter for a variety of animals and birds, however they can end up killing the host tree by enclosing the trunk, eventually strangling and killing it
• some trees have adapted against strangler trees by growing smooth trunks so the fig tree cannot grip on