Strangler Fig is the common name for a number of tropical plant species. They all share a common "strangling" growth habit that is found in many tropical forest species. This growth habit is an adaptation for growing in dark forests where the competition for light is intense. These plants begin life as epiphytes, when their seeds, often bird-dispersed, germinate in crevices atop other trees. These seedlings grow their roots downward and envelope the host tree while also growing upward to reach into the sunlight zone above the canopy. An original support tree can sometimes die, leaving a "columnar tree", central core empty, of the Strangler Fig. Strangler figs can also leave trees hollow.