If you ’re appear for a large , elegant houseplant that ’s a instruction while , you ca n’t go wrong with the genus Ficus . Although these trees are able of reaching huge sizes in the wilderness , they normally do n’t outstrip 10 feet in stature in our homes . One of my favorites is Ficus altissima ( which you may have hear referred to as a council tree ) , a species naturally see in Southeast Asia .
Here ’s everything you need to know about the council tree , its care prerequisite , and how to check that yours thrives in your dwelling house !
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About Ficus altissima
Description
Ficus altissima is an evergreen tree bluster thick , oval leafage in shades of dingy green , with a lighter vein running through the middle . Its foliage has been delineate as looking almost “ plasticky ” ( but in a good way ! ) .
The young plants you ’ll get for sales agreement in your local plant storage usually have a single luggage compartment with some aerial roots , but mature Ficus altissima trees in the wild can be multi - stemmed . They have thick melodic phrase roots that progress to all the way down to the basis , and their radical sometimes take on an almost latticed appearance .
Did you know?
In the state of nature , Ficus tree like this one are pollinated by specificspecies of wasps . In this case , the ( flyspeck ) wasp pollinator is named after its host : Eupristina altissima .
Natural habitat
Like most of the Ficus species we grow as houseplants , F. altissima is naturally retrieve in Asia . It was first described in 1826 from Java , but can in reality be line up in large parts of Southeast Asia : Thailand , Vietnam , Laos , and more .
Ficus altissima forms part of a Ficus subgenus called Urostigma . Its members are also known as Indian banyan or strangler FIG . They ’re characterized by the fact that they start out their lives rise on other trees , often without any verbatim contact with the primer coat .
Many plants are capable of mature on other plant ( usually trees ) without affecting their innkeeper negatively . ( You see this bechance with epiphytes likeMonstera deliciosa , Syngonium podophyllum , Hoya carnosa , andPeperomia prostrata . )
But — Ficus altissima is not one of these ! It uses its dupe as a musical accompaniment , wrapping itself around the trunk until it ’s big enough to continue living severally . By this prison term , the original Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree will often have been almost all covered , and it will generally die due to a lack of Inner Light and nutrients .
It ’s a rather aggressive lifestyle for a species that ’s intimately related to the ubiquitous Ficus carica tree with its delicious fruits ! Luckily , in the home , there ’s no want to give any clean-handed plants in ordering for your Ficus altissima to grow .
Ficus altissima is sometimes used as a landscaping tree , although it ’s not really suitable for metropolis . Its very large etymon systems can finally damage buildings and infrastructure . regrettably it ’s now considered an invasive specie in some places , like part of Florida .
Ficus altissima varieties
If you ’d like to add a Ficus altissima to your houseplant collection , you’re able to choose between wild - type ( green leaf ) and vary ( marbleised folio ) interlingual rendition .
I ’ve see the variegated cultivars being referred to as both ‘ Golden Gem ’ and ‘ Yellow Gem ’ , but I ’m reasonably sure they ’re one and the same .
Where to buy
Ficus altissima trees
Caring for Ficus altissima
Light and temperature
Houseplant enthusiast sometimes struggle to keep their Ficus trees alert , and a lot of this seems to be a result of confusion about lighter . Ficus altissima , like many of its cousin-german , is often recommend for spots in the home that incur shining indirect sparkle .
But think about it : In the wild , these marvellous Tree are blasted by the tropic sun on a day-to-day groundwork . They have n’t evolve to make do with low-spirited light source levels !
So , I powerfully recommend placing your Ficus in good order in front of the sunniest window you could put up . A plant that receive enough light will be much more resilient , as well as more forgiving of fault in watering .
In most regions , a Ficus altissima can even be placed outdoors during the summer months , leave it to soak up as much Dominicus as possible . Make certain to acclimatise your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree over the path of a few weeks , because a plant moved from an indoor quad right into the summertime sunlight can stop up with leaf burn .
As for temperature , this is a tropical , so it ’s not used to cold . Room temperature and up are perfect . If you feel comfortable in your home , then your plant should be all right as well .
A Ficus altissima grown alfresco during the fond calendar month should be taken back inside when night temperature reach around 60 ° F . Any colder and the tree can start drop its leaves .
Soil and planting
Like most tropic houseplants , Ficus altissima likes its grease lightly moist at all times . However , it really does n’t endure sogginess ! The right soil mixture carry a small amount of water system , but allows excess moisture to drain easy so as to foreclose origin rot from setting in .
Normal , high - timber houseplant soil with a few fistful of addedperliteshould work out fine for this specie . If you experience like the soil dries too quickly , you could add a footling sphagnum moss . For soil that stay wet too long , a loving cup of orchidaceous plant bark may demonstrate helpful .
As for potting , a Ficus altissima does n’t care about the container eccentric as long as there ’s a maw in the bottom . I personally recommend a relatively wide planter for larger specimens , as they can be prone to falling over in narrower ones .
urge products for Ficus altissima plant maintenance :
Water and humidity
As mentioned , Ficus altissima likes its filth ( very ) lightly moist , but is illiberal to its metrical foot staying wet for extended periods of time . So , it ’s best to avoid watering on a regular weekly agenda . Instead , adhere a finger into the soil to gauge the moisture level before watering . This way , you ’ll know whether your plant is really athirst or not quite in need of a drunkenness yet .
you may water once half the soil palpate juiceless . If it ’s still dampish , it ’s best to wait another solar day or two . And do n’t forget that our houseplants usually require a flock less urine during wintertime than during the warm and bright summer calendar month !
Fertilizing
Ficus altissima likes a small fertiliser during the develop time of year ( spring to late summer ) . you may go for a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer once or double a month accord to the instruction manual on the feeding bottle .
Recommended fertiliser for Ficus altissima :
Pruning
Indoor Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree like this one do n’t need to be pruned regularly in decree to grow properly . you’re able to prune yours if you feel the branches have rise out of ascendency , but it ’s not a must .
It ’s normal for a respectable houseplant to slowly cast off its bottom leaves as it grows new single on top . you could remove any dead leaves on your Ficus altissima once they ’ve crisped up , meaning the plant has reabsorb all the nutrients it can from them .
Dividing or repotting
Like other types of indoor trees , Ficus altissima does n’t lean to produce outgrowth , so it ’s not really a suitable candidate for division ( although you could propagate it — see the next section below ) .
Instead , it ’s expert to repot your plant every other year or so . you may do so during springtime , right at the start of the growing time of year . If your Ficus has outgrown its current planter , you could go one pot sizing up . If it still has plenty of space , then just change out the soil is fine .
Propagating Ficus altissima
Propagation : a fancy tidings for creating new houseplants for free ! Although propagating woody plants like Ficus trees can be a small more challenging than with easygoing - stemmed metal money ( they ’re in spades boring to root ) , it ’s still possible to multiply yours at dwelling house .
Taking cuttings from the arm lead gives you the best chances of propagation succeeder . habituate cleanpruning shearsto remove a carving measuring at least 4 to 5 inch , preferably with a few leaves .
Once you ’ve obtained your newspaper clipping , you may distribute in water or soil . For water propagation , identify the stem in a pocket-size vase or glass of piss and set it in front of a windowpane that does n’t get verbatim sun . The first radical should appear within a few weeks . you may move the cutting to grime once the root organization measures around 2 inches in length .
If you opt propagating directly in soil , I highly commend dip the cutting in some rootle powder before stick around it into a Ficus - appropriate medium . Place the container with your cutting in a warm and tripping spot and be patient ; it can take a few month for the cut to root and the first new folio to appear .
For larger cuttings , it may be utile to await into a propagation method acting called air layering . It increases the probability of achiever with the woodier piece of a plant .
Is Ficus altissima toxic to cats and dogs?
This works is lightly toxic . If your pet ingests it , the white , latex paint - same sap present in the leaves , stems , and roots can cause gastrointestinal disordered ( vomiting , diarrhoea ) as well as aggravation to the mouth and mucous secretion membranes .
It ’s best to keep Ficus altissima out of your favorite ’s reach . If it does grapple to take a sharpness , offer plenty of water and stay wakeful for the next 24 hours . If you ’re worried , consider border your veterinarian to ask about the best course of legal action , but serious issues are pretty much unheard of .
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