Strangler figs are known to well..strangle their hosts. This growth habit is an adaptation for growing in dark forests where the competition for light is intense. These plants are hemiepiphytes, spending the first part of their life without rooting into the ground. Their seeds, often bird-dispersed, germinate in crevices atop other trees. These seedlings grow their roots downwards and begin to envelop the host tree, also growing upwards to reach into the sunlight zone above the canopy! The original support tree can die sometimes though, making the strangler fig into a "columnar tree" with a hollow central core. However! It is also believed that the strangler fig can help its support tree to survive storms!