Chinese Banyan trees (Rongshu)
Chinese Banyan trees (Rongshu) have thick trunks, smooth bark, and aerial roots hanging down that help them to breathe. They grow quickly and breed easily, and since they have good resistance against air pollution, they are often used in windbreak forests and as bonsai, shade trees, and garden plants. Banyan trees exhibit a special phenomenon called "strangling," which is commonly seen in tropical rainforests. Taiwan is in the subtropical climate zone, where the weather is hot and humid, and where strangling is common as well. When the seed of a strangling plant falls on another plant due to bird droppings, wind, water, etc., and the environment is suitable, the seed starts to group and the aerial roots start to grow downward to absorb water and nutrients. These plants grow fast, and also have dense branch and leaf networks; the original plant is soon surrounded, and eventually withers.