Ficus Microcarpa is a common tree seen in parks and gardens. Usually grown for its ornamental value, it grows as high as 40 feet in height and forms a soothing shade canopy in summers. It’s also used as a screening plant or a hedge in gardens. Ficus Microcarpa is native to China through tropical Asia and the Caroline Islands to Australia. Now classified as Ficus Microcarpa, it was once classified as Ficus Nitida. Read on to learn more about this tree and the best way of caring for it.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Ficus microcarpa, also known as Chinese banyan, Malayan banyan, Indian laurel, curtain fig, or gajumaru (ガジュマル), is a tree in the fig family Moraceae. It is native in a range from China through tropical Asia and the Caroline Islands to Australia. It is widely planted as a shade tree and frequently misidentified as F. retusa or as F. nitida (syn. F. benjamina).
Ficus microcarpa is a tropical tree with smooth light-gray bark and entire oblance leaves about 2–2.5 inches (5.1–6.4 centimeters) long which in Mediterranean climates grows to about forty feet (twelve meters) tall and with an equal spread of crown. Where conditions are favorable for the banyan habit (tropical and humid subtropical) it grows much larger, producing great numbers of prop roots.
The largest known specimen is Auntie Sarah’s Banyan at the Menehune Botanical Gardens near Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawai’i which is 110.0 feet (33.5 meters) in height, 250 feet (76 meters) in crown spread, and having over one thousand aerial trunks.
The F. microcarpa with the thickest trunk is also in Hawai’i, at Keaau Village, Puna District, on the Big Island. Its main trunk is 28.0 feet (8.5 meters) thick at breast height. It is also 195.0 feet (59.4 meters) in limb spread. Only slightly smaller is the “Banyan at Lomteuheakal” in Vanuatu, a F. microcarpa with a main trunk 27.15 feet thick (26 meters circumference).
As a tropical and subtropical tree, it is suitable for temperatures above 20 °C all year long, which explains why it is generally sold as a houseplant. It can, however, withstand relatively low temperatures, suffering damage only below 0 °C. High humidity (70% – 100%) is preferable and seems to favor the development of aerial roots. The species can be propagated easily by cuttings, either in water or directly in a substrate of sand or potting soil.
Though, a popular houseplant Ficus Microcarpa can be toxic to dogs and cats. The sap on leaves can be irritating to dogs when ingested or applied on skin. So, it’s advisable to keep this plant out of reach of your pets.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Ficus Microcarpa is a warm-weather-loving plant that can thrive well under the right conditions. Most Ficus Microcarpa bloom in full sunlight to partial shade. If you are growing a Ficus Microcarpa tree indoors, place it near a window with maximum sun exposure.
Watering
Ficus Microcarpa prefers moisture at roots. So, maintain a balanced moisture regime at its roots. Allow the soil surface to dry slightly before watering it again, but never let the soil dry out completely. If its roots are kept wet continuously, it will rot. For potted trees, check the soil with your fingers, and if the top inch is dry, water it until it runs out from the bottom. Make sure the pot has drain holes. The roots do not like to remain wet. It should be moist, so ensure proper drainage.
Soil
Ficus Microcarpa needs well-drained, and fertile soil. Soil-based potting mixtures work well for this plant and provide all nutrients it needs. If it is growing in a pot, loosen the topsoil regularly without disturbing its roots, so that it can absorb nutrients and water.
Fertilizing
When planted indoors, Ficus Microcarpa requires a mild liquid fertiliser, or slow-release pellets every month during summers and growing seasons. If you can’t find fertiliser pellets, opt for used coffee grounds to provide nutrients like nitrogen.
If grown outside, Ficus Microcarpa trees need an appropriate liquid fertilizer, or organic fertilizer, once in every two weeks during the growing season.
Pruning
Ficus Microcarpa is a fast-growing tree that requires medium pruning as part of regular maintenance. It grows like an epiphyte on other trees.
Propagation
Ficus Microcarpa can easily be propagated by cutting its stems. Propagating the plant is simple. Take the cuttings and place them into water or sterile soil, so that roots can come out. The best way is to take a cutting from a larger branch or from a naturally occurring offshoot. Keep the cutting in normal water and place it near the warm part of the house, out of direct sunlight and keep the soil moist. Once cuttings start growing and developed strong roots, they can be planted out, or in a big pot.
Bonsai
Ficus Microcarpa is one of the most popular trees for indoor Bonsai. They can tolerate low light and humidity from air-conditioned rooms. Its leaves become dense, giving you a thick canopy. The ‘Banyan’ style roots are commonly trained in a root-over-rock style. Ficus Microcarpa grows faster, for example, if you cut its leaves to 2-4, they will grow to 6-10 leaves quickly. Keep trimming it during the growing season.
Regular misting or setting the Ficus tree on a pebble tray filled with water is a good way to increase its humidity. Note, they like high humidity, but they do not like over wet roots. The plant’s root system enables Ficus Microcarpa to survive in harsh settings for long by swelling and storing nutrients and water. The older the plant gets, the more it swells. Therefore, you can transform the Ficus Microcarpa plant into a lovely Bonsai with some training. Repot the plant in one or two years, along with defoliating, pruning foliage and roots to gradually create a Bonsai.
Pests and Diseases
Monitor Ficus Microcarpa for pests such as thrips and aphids. Spray neem, or eucalyptus oil for any insect/pest attack, as a primary treatment. Thrips can cause curled leaves. Along with neem oil, use insecticides to control thrips. Pruning thrip-infested branches are effective, if only a small portion of the tree is infected. Aphids can be easily knocked out from leaves and branches with a strong stream of water. If your Ficus Microcarpa starts looking sick, or its leaves turn yellow, it may be due to overwatering. Spray some mixture of soap and water twice a day, for two weeks, when you notice bugs.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Ficus microcarpa is cultivated as an ornamental tree for planting in gardens, parks, and in containers as an indoor plant and bonsai specimen. In Southeast Asia, it is cultivated as a shade tree because of its dense foliage. Its ability to produce discards also makes it easy to drive in a hedge or bush.
- Medicinal uses
The plant is also used in traditional medicine in India, Malaysia, China and Japan. In Japan, the bark, the aerial roots and dried leaves are traditionally used against pain and fever, while in China the plant is traditionally used among others against the flu, the malaria, bronchitis and rheumatism. The pharmacological properties of Ficus microcarpa would include antioxidant activities, antibacterial, anticarcinogen and anti diabetic agents.
