A slender arm beside a Rodinesque physique

May 12, 2017 1 Comment by urbantreelover Chinese Banyan

Species: Chinese Banyan (ficus microcarpa)
Old and valuable tree of Hong Kong listing: CW/10, CW/11
Location: Pok Fu Lam Road, outside the Lady Ho Tung Hall of the University of Hong Kong

These two Old and valuable trees of Hong Kong are magnificent Chinese Banyans (ficus microcarpa 細葉榕) that hold sway, literally, over the sidewalk outside the Lady Ho Tung Hall of the University of Hong Kong on Pokfulam Road. One look at their form and it is easy to understand why they earned their status as an venerable members of the city’s tree elite.

On the south side (higher up the slope), CW/11’s main trunk forms a wide slender arch over the sidewalk, complete with hanging roots that demands reverence from anyone passing underneath. Sometimes trees amaze me simply because they are able to stand at such astute angles without breaking. This is so true with CW/11, which stretches out like an extended gymnast .

Hanging around

LCSD CW/11

Further down the hill is CW/10, which is also crowned by a wide canopy, but is supported by a Rodinesque core trunk system with accentuated roots wrapping around a tense muscular body. In comparison to its constant companion, this is the muscle in the partnership, the weightlifter, the enforcer.