The Moreton Bay Fig Tree in Balboa Park was almost 100 years old. It stood 80 feet (24 meters) tall. Its main trunk had a girth of 43 feet (13 meters). Its canopy was 145 feet (43 meters) across. It didn't look that big at a distance, but grew huge when approached.

The Moreton Bay Fig Tree in Balboa Park had a girth of 43 feet (13 meters). Up close one could appreciate how big it really was.

Once underneath the canopy one could sense the huge weight of the tree overhead. A fig tree is a lush tree with a full canopy.

A fig tree has shallow roots that extend almost the full width of the canopy. That is why this tree was fenced off. If people were to walk over its roots, those roots could become severely damaged.

It is difficult to judge the size of huge things without known objects for scale. To appreciate the wondrous size of this tree, one needs to observe people and cars near it.