Strangler (Noun)
Meaning 1
An epiphytic vine or tree whose aerial roots extend down the trunk of a supporting tree and coalesce around it eventually strangling the tree.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The fig tree had grown up the trunk of a nearby ficus, its aerial roots intertwining to form a classic strangler.
- As the strangler plant matured, it slowly closed in around the base of the palm tree, cutting off its water supply.
- The strangler plant's ability to absorb moisture and nutrients from the air allowed it to thrive even as it squeezed the life from its host.
- Over time, the massive strangler fig would eventually kill its supporting tree, its sprawling canopy a testament to its suffocating grasp.
- In this way, the strangler vine became a temporary partner with the tree, relying on it for support until it could establish itself and take over.