And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. [Genesis 2:9 - KJV]
The question asks 'according to the text' are the trees symbolic or actual ?
There is no 'tree' that grows 'out of the ground' that provides knowledge. No such tree exists. Nor is such a 'tree' (within the scope of what the word 'tree' means) possible. Trees do not work that way.
The concepts being dealt with in the whole passage, are metaphysical concepts : what is humanity ? how is humanity to live ? how might humanity attempt to live in a wrong way ? what is given (by God) that provides for humanity to live ?
'Live' here being not mere organic life - Adam had that already. He was a living, breathing human being. But he lacked something. What was lacking ? Later, failing to provide for himself (by the tree of knowledge of good and evil) he attempted to cover himself. Something was missing and he was ashamed.
These are spiritual concepts and in order for us to grasp them, as is often the case in scripture, we are given imagery. Our minds need to grasp something in order to process thought.
There is a knowledge, once there is a creation and once sentient beings with intelligence are within it, that is just there. God did not especially provide it, it springs into existence with the creation itself.
But that knowledge is not the way to live. That is to say, to live spiritually. To live unto God. To find the invisible God and to do his will and to do the things that please him.
Partake of that knowledge, with a view to such a purpose - and one will die.
God warned of it. That is not the way to live.
But there was a 'tree' already 'in the midst'.
Out of the ground, the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil was not good for food. We know that now. It causes death. God warns of it.
He did not make it grow. It exists because creation exists.
The text does not state that it is in Eden. The text does not state that it is good for food. The clause 'and the tree of knowledge of good and evil' is added at the end of the sentence, after 'the tree of life also in the midst of the garden'.
There is a hiatus to the sentence.
Thus, as the question asks, the text does not state that these two trees are as the other trees mentioned.
They are extra. One in the midst. One not good for food.
There is no physical tree that can give 'life' in the context being opened up in the passage, of spiritual life.
There is no physical tree that provides the knowledge of good and evil.
But both systems of life (the word of life and the letter of the law) are structures with a main uprightness and with branches coming out of the uprightness and further smaller branchings from the branches. Like a tree.
They are symbolic concepts given to us to understand spiritual truth.
Thus, also, a spirit who behaved in a serpentine manner is called 'serpent'.
The concept of union with God is 'settled' at the eastern extremity of the garden, after the first humanity fails of that concept. That concept (expressed by cherubim) waits for another humanity in which to be fulfilled.
But if some wish to see these all as physical actualities on earth, I see no problem to that, as long as there is understanding of the concept which is attached to the representation.
As stated in the question, I see the real and true account of creation in the first pages of Genesis. In six days was creation made and on the seventh, God rested.
Adam and Eve were both real people and were a direct creation of God. Eve really was taken out of Adam.
God really did make every species directly as the account states.
And, later, a real global flood carried all away, except for eight persons.
Yes, I believe these things.
