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Strangler Fig

Ficus destruens

In Singapore: Rusty Fig, Boonjee Fig (Grown in Singapore)

Strangler Fig
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ficus destruens is a strangler fig native to the wet tropical rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia. It starts life perched on a host tree and sends roots down to the ground, eventually overgrowing and killing its host, so it is best grown with a strong support or in a large tropical garden.

Family
Moraceae (Fig & mulberry family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Bright indirect, Part shade
Water
Keep the root zone evenly moist during growth and water more in the dry season, letting the top layer dry slightly between waterings.
Soil
Free-draining, humus-rich tropical mix.
Temperature
18–30 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Hard
Safety
Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
E. Queensland
Climate
seasonally dry tropical

About

Ficus destruens is a hemiepiphytic fig that is endemic to the wet tropical rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.

Other Ficus plants

Ficus annulata · Mosaic Fig · Ficus atricha · Florida strangler fig · Roxburgh fig · Indian banyan · Weeping fig · Longleaf Fig · Ficus brachypoda · Fig · Ficus caulocarpa · Ficus celebensis

[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ficus destruens by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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