A large, multi-trunked banyan tree with smooth bark and a huge mass of above-ground roots which looks just a little like a nest of large snakes sits proudly in the Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, FL. This was 2009. The roots when leaving the trunk are tall, rounded yet not very thick, but are almost 18" high. As they snake away from the trunk they get lower and lower then either branching into a more typical root-like structure or disappearing below ground. They had several of these trees. I still miss Sarasota, our fav local-ish vacation spot.