Ficus benjamina

Ficus benjamina, commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok. Ficus Benjamina is a recently discovered variety. Bracteata is found in uplifted coral forests of southern Taiwan. The species is also naturalized in the West Indies and in the states of Florida and Arizona in the United States. In its native range, its small fruit are favored by some birds, such as the superb fruit dove, wompoo fruit dove, pink-spotted fruit dove, ornate fruit dove, orange-bellied fruit dove, Torresian imperial pigeon, and purple-tailed imperial pigeon.

Description

Ficus benjamina is a tree reaching 30 m (98 feet) tall in natural conditions, with gracefully drooping branchlets and glossy leaves

6-13 cm (2+3/8–5+1/8 inches), oval with an acuminate tip. The bark is smooth and light gray. Young branches have a brownish bark. The tree’s top is often 10 meters in diameter and spreads out. It is a relatively small-leaved fig. It has simple, whole and stalked leaves. The petiole is 1 to 2.5 cm (3/8 to 1 inch) long. The young foliage is light green and slightly wavy, the older leaves are green and smooth; the leaf blade is ovate to ovate-lanceolate with wedge-shaped to broadly rounded base and ends with a short dropper tip. The pale glossy to dull leaf blade is 5 to 12 cm (2 to 4+1/2 inches) cm long and 2 to 6 cm (1 to 2+1/2 inches) wide. Cystolites, yellow crystal cells, are found near the leaf margins. The two membranous, deciduous stipules are not fused, lanceolate and 6 to 12 mm (1/4 to 1/2 inch) (rarely to 15 mm or 9/16 inch) long.

F. benjamina is monoecious. The inflorescences are spherical to egg-shaped, shiny green, and have a diameter of 1.5 cm (1/2 inch). There are three types of flowers in the inflorescences: fertile, male and sterile. Stalled, scattered male flowers are without sepals and have a stamen. Many fertile female flowers are sessile and have three or four sepals and an egg-shaped ovary. An enlarged scar is the result of the more or less lateral design.

The ripe figs (collective fruit) are orange-red and have a diameter of 2.0 to 2.5 cm (3/4 to 1 inch).

Cultivation

In tropical latitudes, the weeping fig makes a very large and stately tree for parks and other urban situations, such as wide roads. This is why it is frequently cultivated.

F. Benjamina houseplant is very popular in temperate regions. Its elegant growth and tolerance to poor growing conditions make it a highly sought-after houseplant. It requires a moderate amount of watering in summer, and only enough to keep it from drying out in the winter. It can grow quickly and easily with longer days, moderately high temperatures at night, and rather high day temperatures. It does not need to be misted. The plant is sensitive to cold and should be protected from strong drafts. It can become too big indoors and need to be pruned or replaced. F. Benjamina has been proven to remove gaseous formaldehyde indoors.

NASA Clean Air Study found that the plant is effective in removing common household air pollutants formaldehyde, xylene.

Although the fruit can be eaten, it is not edible. The leaves are sensitive to slight changes in light intensity. It reacts to light changes by dropping many leaves and then replacing them with new ones that are more suitable for the environment. Changes in environment factors like temperature, humidity, and movement can also affect the plant.

Cultivars

Numerous cultivars are available (e.g. There are many cultivars available (e.g. Some cultivars include different patterns of colouration on the leaves, ranging from light green to dark green, and various forms of white variegation.

In cultivation in the UK, this plant and the variegated cultivar ‘Starlight’ have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

The miniature cultivars, especially ‘Too Little’, are among the most popular plants for indoor bonsai.