"Shading almost an acre of the park and reaching upward to a height of 60 feet, this banyan tree is the largest in the United States. The tree has spread over the area by way of its aerial roots, which grow into thick trunks when they reach the ground, supporting the tree's large canopy. There are 16 major trunks in addition to the original trunk in the center.

"Sheriff William Owen Smith planted Lahaina's Indian Banyan on April 24, 1873, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission in Lahaina, which was started at the request of Queen Keopuolani, the sacred wife and widow of King Kamehameha the Great. The area around the tree was always intended to be a park, a shady place where the people could sit and escape the merciless sun of the town. The tree's symmetrical shape was created over many years by the tender care of residents of the Lahaina community. At sunset, you can hear the cacophony of thousands of birds, mostly mynah, chattering as they get ready to roost in the tree for the night."