Ficus Species Pro/Con List

[Gabler]

I have three species of Ficus: microcarpa, nerifolia, and religiosa. Each has its benefits and drawbacks. F. microcarpa is tolerant of shade and sun, warm and cool weather (provided it is above freezing), and wet and dry soil, so it's about as bulletproof as a tree can get. I've never seen one that's sick. At worst, it gets a bit leggy indoors in the winter. F. nerifolia has a strong preference for very hot weather and full sunlight, but it has small leaves with dense internodes, and it is highly drought tolerant. I consider both F. microcarpa and F. nerifolia to be excellent species for bonsai, even in Maryland, where I need to bring them indoors half the year. I assume most of you would agree with that assessment. There is a reason both species are popular. F. religiosa is fun for the sake of variety, but between the huge leaves, leggy growth, and intolerance of low light conditions, it is bigly outclassed by other ficus species.

Do you have anything to add? What species would you recommend and why? Which species should we avoid? How do they compare with the ubiquitous F. microcarpa?

 

[leatherback]

I love the microcarpa. I think it is excellent for bonsai and the leaves do reduce significantly -not unimportantly- under bonsai care.

I have one variety with much smaller leaves, and is often grafted upon these commercial ginseng-fig bonsai, as well as larger ikea bonsai. I am not exactly sure what species it is. Could be a small leaf veriety, or, what has been suggested, green island fif. I do not know that species nor do I know ficus well enough to estimate.



And, as I do not have one with a banana for scale, my fat lumps of fingers in a screenshot next to this one. So far not seen any major pests or diseases:

It is a lot more compact growing than microcarpa. Internodes are very tight. Foliage is brittle. But it does create real thickening branches, and with about 15 cm / 6 inches of extention over a summer workable as a small to medium sized tree.

 

[Shibui]

Down here we grow a lot of Ficus rubiginosa - Australian native 'Port Jackson Fig'
It s also very drought hardy and hardy to temps down to just above freezing though it definitely does better above 5 or 10C.
Naturally mid size (for Ficus)leaves but they reduce really well as the branches develop ramification.
Develops excellent ramification.
Seedlings buttress really quickly to give a strongly tapered trunk. Cuttings take longer to develop a strongly tapered trunk but can do so when grown out well.
Extremely tolerant of pruning both above and below soil. Buds from very old wood when pruned hard. Up to 90% of root reduction is no problem. Larger trunks will root reliably as cuttings (100% root reduction)
Trunks and branches fuse quickly and easily so fused trunk bonsai are easy to develop and branches can be grafted easily.
Very quick growth rate and trunks thicken even when in a small pot.

Agree with the assessment of F. nerifolia small leaves and god ramification but definitely not tolerant of cool temps.

 

[Michael P]

I love the microcarpa. I think it is excellent for bonsai and the leaves do reduce significantly -not unimportantly- under bonsai care.

I have one variety with much smaller leaves, and is often grafted upon these commercial ginseng-fig bonsai, as well as larger ikea bonsai. I am not exactly sure what species it is. Could be a small leaf veriety, or, what has been suggested, green island fif. I do not know that species nor do I know ficus well enough to estimate.

View attachment 622204

And, as I do not have one with a banana for scale, my fat lumps of fingers in a screenshot next to this one. So far not seen any major pests or diseases:
View attachment 622205
It is a lot more compact growing than microcarpa. Internodes are very tight. Foliage is brittle. But it does create real thickening branches, and with about 15 cm / 6 inches of extention over a summer workable as a small to medium sized tree.

There are at least two dwarf cultivars of F. microcarpa, 'Green Island' and 'Green Mound'. Your tree looks like one of those. I grow 'Green Island' and it is just as easy as the parent species.

Willow leaf fig is usually called F. salicaria. F. nerifolia is a much larger species, with leaves 6" long! In my climate and conditions, willow leaf loves sun and heat, but less tolerant of cold and indoor conditions. Mine often self-defoliate around February indoors.

 

[Gabler]

Down here we grow a lot of Ficus rubiginosa - Australian native 'Port Jackson Fig'

I was reading somewhere they grow much more quickly than F. microcarpa. Do you find that to be true?

 

[Gabler]

Willow leaf fig is usually called F. salicaria. F. nerifolia is a much larger species, with leaves 6" long!

I've been finding mixed information of the proper Latin name. Thanks for the clarification. I am in fact growing the ubiquitous willow leaf ficus. The leaves tend to be about two inches (5 cm) at most. I grabbed some trimmings off the ground at a club meeting, and now I have my own. It's no wonder they're easy to find.

 

[Michael P]

I've been finding mixed information of the proper Latin name.

Yes, there is endless confusion! I am not certain that the taxonomists have finally settled on salicaria but it seems to be the consensus now.

 

[Gabler]

Yes, there is endless confusion! I am not certain that the taxonomists have finally settled on salicaria but it seems to be the consensus now.

You would think it would be easier to identify a common houseplant.

 

[Gabler]

Anyway, has anyone messed around with F. triangularis? I love the weird leaf shape, but I don't see many around. Is there a reason they're not more popular?

 

[Shibui]

I was reading somewhere they grow much more quickly than F. microcarpa. Do you find that to be true?

Definitely grows quicker here - that's if the microcarpa I had is actually F. microcarpa. The ones I grew were sourced from street trees rather than bonsai store.
Also F.microcarpa has a very extensive natural range so I'd expect different variations from parts of that range, possibly including growth rates.
Whatever the case, F. rubiginosa grows very fast when well fed and under reasonable conditions. Also thickens quickly as mentioned.
There's also a cultivar called 'Little Ruby' with shorter internodes but also slower growth.

 

[Michael P]

Anyway, has anyone messed around with F. triangularis? I love the weird leaf shape, but I don't see many around. Is there a reason they're not more popular?

I had one as a house plant long ago, didn't think of trying bonsai with it. I don't remember what happened to it.

 

[skot]

I love the microcarpa. I think it is excellent for bonsai and the leaves do reduce significantly -not unimportantly- under bonsai care.

I have one variety with much smaller leaves, and is often grafted upon these commercial ginseng-fig bonsai, as well as larger ikea bonsai. I am not exactly sure what species it is. Could be a small leaf veriety, or, what has been suggested, green island fif. I do not know that species nor do I know ficus well enough to estimate.

View attachment 622204

And, as I do not have one with a banana for scale, my fat lumps of fingers in a screenshot next to this one. So far not seen any major pests or diseases:
View attachment 622205
It is a lot more compact growing than microcarpa. Internodes are very tight. Foliage is brittle. But it does create real thickening branches, and with about 15 cm / 6 inches of extention over a summer workable as a small to medium sized tree.

I have this cultivar and thought it was called Green Gem. Very attractive!
Other favorites include burtt-davyi and some small cultivars of benjamina

 

[Gabler]

I have this cultivar and thought it was called Green Gem. Very attractive!
Other favorites include burtt-davyi and some small cultivars of benjamina

What do you like about F. burt-davyi?

Do you find F. benjamina is reluctant to backbud? I've heard they need to be treated like conifers.