Ficus

Family :           moraceae
Number of species :                +1000
Country of origin :         Worldwide

 

Ficus are a difficult thing. Some are growing so hugely, that they quickly reach the cellar and can't stop producing new leaves. Others are much more difficult and wether grow by irregular steps or simply do not grow at all !

 

 

Ficus benjamina

Amongst all my ficus species, the easiest one is obviously ficus benjamina.

     
 

This 5-year old sample is now more than 2m high. It is grown in a relatively small container (20cm), to avoid too large expansion. It was never pruned and grows completely free.

 

Zoom on a young leaf of f. benjamina. This type of ficus loses more or less a tenth of its leaves along automn and winter. During summer, it appreciates abudant waterings and frequent fertilizing or manure added in the soil.

 

 

Ficus lyrata

     

 

This bowed ficus lyrata suddenly stopped growing after I had pruned the main stem more than a year ago. It hardly produced a lateral ramification, but stopped all vegetative activities since then.

 
Details of the magnificent, enormous leaves of f. lyrata.

 

 

Ficus deltoida

A sample of ficus deltoida does well in a bright, but not sunny place.

     
F. deltoida grows rather slowly. 

 

 

 

It produces all year long some small green fruits which turn yellow before falling down.

 

 

 

 

Ficus trinova

     

This variety of f. trinova really has nice leaves. It is very sensible to excess of water and loses many leaves in case of overwatering.

This sample hardly grows in my interior, it just survives.

 

 

 

Another difficult one is f. longifolia , which alternates good and bad periods without any apparent reason.

Above, a brand new leaf of f. longifolia

Ficus longifolia

     

 

 

Ficus elastica

     
One of the oldest plant of the collection, this ficus elastica has also muted for a long time. It has more or less recovered but grows rather slowly.

 

 

This ficus nitidus (right) recently joined the collection. It seems to enjoy a sunny location towards East.

Ficus nitidus