Ficus benjamina

24 Sep

Ficus benjamina (24/08/2013, Sitia, Crete, Greece)

Position: Full sun

Soil: Moist, well drained

Flowering period: N/A

Eventual Height: 30m

Eventual Spread: 30m

Hardiness: 10a, 10b, 11, 12, 13

Family: Moraceae

Ficus benjamina is an evergreen tree with a weeping habit. Its mid green glossy leaves are ovate with a pointed tip and entire margins, up to 13cm long an 5cm broad. The light brown bark is finely fissured with radial lenticels. Its branches form aerial roots in warm humid climates, where these touch the ground they grow. Its flowers are insignificant. Its red/ orange fruit is a spherical berry and up to 1cm across.

Ficus benjamina Leaf (24/08/2013, Sitia, Crete, Greece)

Ficus benjamina, commonly known as Weeping Fig, Benjamin’s Fig or Ficus Tree, is native to south and south east Asia and Australia.

The etymological root of the binomial name Ficus is from the Latin name for the edible fig. Benjamina is from the Indian vernacular ‘benyan’, the name given to trees with supportive aerial roots.

Ficus benjamina Berry (24/08/2013, Sitia, Crete, Greece)

Ficus benjamina may be useful to the landscape architect as a large evergreen tree or as a hedging species. Once established this tree is drought tolerant.

Ecologically, Ficus benjamina fruit are attractive to numerous birds.

The Royal Horticultural Society has given Ficus benjamina their prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 1993.