What kind of ficus is this?

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Retusa? Microcarpa? I've been trying to figure it out doing searches and I'm still not sure. Sorry, I'm just smart enough to know I'm dumb .

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[Apex37]

Looks like benjamina to me

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Looks like benjamina to me

That kind of muddies the waters. It's being sold as a Philippines, when I google Philippines it says philippines is a Retusa.

 

[Apex37]

That kind of muddies the waters. It's being sold as a Philippines, when I google Philippines it says philippines is a Retusa.

Looks like Wigert’s stock…if so, I’d trust the label.
I’m no expert on IDing anything, but I have noticed ficus leaves can vary in shape based on lighting conditions. My microcarpa’s get very thin, similar to this, in bright, direct light.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Looks like Wigert’s stock…if so, I’d trust the label.
I’m no expert on IDing anything, but I have noticed ficus leaves can vary in shape based on lighting conditions. My microcarpa’s get very thin, similar to this, in bright, direct light.

Well you are an expert at identifying the place selling it. Thanks!

 

[Lorax7]

I'm no ficus expert, but I do have several benjaminas and have had more than one Tiger Bark ficus and this doesn't look like either of those. So, I guess that narrows it down a little to one of the other ~800 or so species of ficus.

 

[hemmy]

Jerry Meislik’s book The World of Ficus Bonsai lists Philippinesis as a cultivar of F. benjamina. On F. retusa, he notes that according to the expert C.C. Berg, it is not seen in cultivation and they are all F. microcarpa clones.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I have not had this type of ficus but I believe the label is correct. It does look like a relative of benjamina to me.

 

[luvinthemountains]

Benjamina, 99.99%

I would be shocked to be proven wrong. From the bark pattern, to the leaf shape/color/texture/arrangement, I am very confident in the identification. Probably a cultivar, probably "philippinensis".

I can also say with 100% confidence this is not microcarpa or any of its cultivars. The leaves are all wrong. And retusa is a completely different species, the name being constantly misapplied to microcarpa.

Hope that (and all the other observations in this thread) helps.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Thanks everyone! I got a text this morning saying that the tree has sold. I was leaning toward not getting it so, no big deal. I was just confused by the cultivar name Philippinensis.

 

[hemmy]

I have a real love/hate relationship with F. benjamina. But I only have the straight variety, none of the cultivars more used in bonsai.

 

[Blksmth88]

I find myself in the same boat with these things as well. I have several known benjaminas from 5 ft tall to small shohin and I've noticed that the bark stays about the same till they get much older or larger. Then it lightens and mine seem to want to smooth a bit. But I also have ficus trees that came labeled retusa that were identical. Leaf, bark and growth patterns. My tiger bark that I find sometimes get labeled retusas have obviously different bark with slightly less pointy leaves and the growth pattern seems to be, send a shoot out then fill it with foliage at the end. I read cutting it back after it hardens off is supposed to help a bit but Im not there yet. I also have some ficus "spire" cuttings I'm working on getting rooted at the moment and they seem to look close but they have darker, less glossy leaves. Glad you got the info you were after