Ficus NATALENSIS

Ficus NATALENSIS - Natal fig, Ficus natalensis.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Ficus is a genus of plants in the mulberry family (Moraceae), within which it forms the monotypic tribe Ficeae. Most species are evergreen, while some are deciduous. The most famous representative of the genus is the common fig tree, known as the edible fig, or fig. Also well-known is Ficus benjamina, grown indoors as an ornamental plant.

The plant is quite widespread, numbering nearly 900 species, including trees, shrubs, and lianas. Its native lands are countries with a predominantly subtropical or tropical climate (Southeast Asia, Borneo, Ceylon, Java), where ficus height reaches 30 m (98 ft), and leaf length reaches 1 m (3.3 ft).

Leaves can be alternate, entire, lobed, glossy, or pubescent. The inflorescences of ficuses have an unusual structure: an expanded pear-shaped or capitate axis is hollow inside, with an opening at the top. The flowers are located inside the wall of the inflorescence and are pollinated by insects. After pollination, small fruits begin to develop from the flowers, forming a multiple fruit (syconium). In domestic conditions, ficuses bloom extremely rarely.

Natal fig is an epiphytic shrub or a large evergreen tree 30 m (98 ft) tall. Leaves are opposite, leathery, glossy, dark green with a light midrib, obovate, spatula-shaped. Fruits are small, solitary or in pairs, round, greenish-yellow with reddish sides.

Seeds are sown on the surface of a mixture of leaf mold, peat, and sand, moistened from a spray bottle with a growth stimulant, covered with film, and germinated in light, but not in direct sun, at a temperature of 25-30 °C (77-86 °F). Seedlings require ventilation. Overwatering and desiccation of sowings must be avoided.

© Greeniverse. All rights reserved.

Ficuses are conservative and do not like being moved from one place to another. It is best if the room is sunny and has plenty of fresh air. In summer, the ficus can be taken out to a balcony, but it must be protected from direct sunlight. With insufficient lighting, plant growth slows down, and leaves drop. With abrupt changes in lighting, the leaf color changes.

In summer, the optimal temperature for maintenance is 25-30 °C (77-86 °F), and in winter 16-20 °C (61-68 °F). In winter, a warm and dry room with supplemental lighting and regular misting is preferred for the ficus. A ficus requires more light the higher the room temperature is. The plant reacts sharply to chilling of the soil: it may shed its leaves, so placing it on a cold floor is unacceptable. Sharp temperature fluctuations are undesirable. The ficus's need for watering depends on external conditions.