| Description | Benjamin Fig (Ficus benjamina) An extremely popular, relatively easy to grow plant that tolerates many different light situations. If it has a problem it is leaf drop, which is an automatic occurrence when it is moved, brought home from the greenhouse, or is subjected to some poor cultural practices. Usually recovers. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Indoor Foliage, Broadleaf evergreen, Trees Deciduous, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 10 |
| Sunlight | In its native region it is found growing in full sun to deep shade. This gives it the ability to tolerate most light conditions if acclimated to the site. Prefers bright light |
| Moisture | In its native region Benjamin Fig is subjected to dry seasons and moist seasons. During the dry seasons it will drop its leaves to decrease the leaf surface area lowering the transpiration rate. To avoid this seasonal leaf drop keep it evenly moist. |
| Growing Media | average house |
| Temperature | average house to warm |
| Flowers | The flowers are located inside of a "fig-like" structure and are pollinated by a specific fig wasp. Start green turning to red in axillary pairs. |
| Fruit | fig-like, botanically called a syconium |
| Leaves | Leaves are: green, leatherly, shiny, ovate to elliptic and pointed. There are some variegated forms availiable. |
| Dimensions | This plant can be kept in a small pot or grown as an indoor tree. Very common as the large indoor trees in malls. Will reach over 100 feet in native sites. |
| Propagation | Cuttings rooted undermist. |
| Native Site | Southwest Asia, India, Northern Australia (Old World tropics) |
| Author's Notes | At the school where I teach we cut the plants back 33-50% every spring and let them regrow in the greenhouse over the summer. Otherwise the plants would become too large. Plants growing in the home, I would do major pruning in the spring when the plants start to grow. They do not mind spending the summer outside in some semi-shaded spot. |
| Notes & Reference | www.ficustree.com (www.plantcare.com) |
Cart
