Woody > Ficus > Ficus obliqua > Ficus obliqua
Ficus obliqua
Origin: Southeast Asia to Eastern Australia. Found in Malaysia, New Guinea, Western New Guinea. Some specimens have also been found in Western Australia.
Mike's
Opinion
"
This tree, by most accounts, rarely appears outside its endemic region; and even there, it is not a popular choice for the landscape. Is it an underrated, obscure specimen? Or a characteristically demanding, yet relatively unimpressive Ficus that just isn’t worth the effort? This is a difficult question to answer: most of the limited interest horticultural science seemingly takes in F. obliqua pertains to pollinators and surrounding ecology, rather than the physiology or any potential uses of the species itself. Personally, I could only describe the mature specimens as majestic; and, if I could afford property along with emigration to a nicer climate, I would have no reason not to give one a try. In fact, I may try to acquire seeds regardless: it could be that the next trendy indoor Ficus has yet to make a name for itself.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Moraceae |
| Genus |
| Ficus |
| Species |
| obliqua |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10a |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Grow under glass |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1b |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 0 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 37 |
| Height |
| 10 - 40 m |
| Spread |
| 10 - 40 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| An evergreen hemiepiphyte or lithophyte endemic to tropical and subtropical forests in Oceania. Commonly known as the Small Leaved Fig, its narrowly elliptic leaves are typically under 13cm and 5 cm in length and width respectively. Young trees have rounded canopies, which become broadly spreading with age and corresponding secondary growth. F. obliqua produces small, round fruit in shades of gold, orange and eventually ripened red from wasp pollinated syconia. |
| Landscape |
| Best used in spacious parks and other sizable green spaces, such as large properties or conservation areas. It attracts bats, butterflies, and an assortment of birds, making it perfect for ecotourism destinations. Use caution if considering this species for urban locations; its ambitious, expansive root system can damage nearby infrastructure. Its round, broadly spreading canopy makes it a wonderful source of shade, as well as an effective way to fill empty spaces and create a focal point. Obliqua can be grown in a container with appropriate care and pruning, or be trained as a bonsai. |
| Cultivation |
| Ficus obliqua’s soil must be rich in organic matter. If this requirement is met, it should accept most soil types. The medium – and ideally, the surrounding topography – must promote good drainage. The Small Leaved Ficus thrives in soil that stays moderately and evenly moist below the surface; it also requires airborne moisture, and does best in humid climates. Ficus obliqua should be planted in full sun; but it can also thrive in west-facing locations that receive morning shade. |
| Shape |
| Younger mature trees have round crowns, which take on a layered appearance as the tree ages and secondary growth increases. Very mature specimens have a broad, spreading habit. F. obliqua frequently have co-dominant stems; or multiple large, sub-dominant limbs, with no discernible central leader. Very immature trees that have not yet become woody have sparse foliage and an upright, excurrent form. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| ID Characteristic |
| The leaves are smaller than those of most other large trees, fitting neatly into the palm of a hand and appearing almost comically disproportionate to the woody parts of the tree. They grow in an alternate arrangement, but often emerge close enough together horizontally that it could be mistaken for opposite at first glance. Vertically, however, they appear well spaced out. Altogether, this gives the individual branches a rather tidy appearance. Fruit is similarly small and fairly spherical or globular. Since it does not seem to require specific seasonal conditions for fruit bearing, figs at multiple stages of ripeness may be visible on the same specimen, and at any time of year. |
| Pests |
| Brown tea root disease/Phellinus noxius. |
| Habitat |
| Warm, moist, wooded areas; mostly found in tropical and subtropical rainforests. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Bark is generally, mostly quite smooth, especially when trees are young. As the tree ages, the bark may develop some shallow, discreet furrows or visible lenticels, which tend to remain localized to particular portions of the specimen in question. Bark colour ranges from pale grey to medium grey-brown. Darker coloured bark typically appears with age. Different shades of grey and grey-brown may appear together in a mottled pattern throughout the tree, or localized to particular areas. Many mature specimens are lightly, sparsely mossy, particularly on the lower portions of their thickest trunks and limbs. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Leaf buds are enclosed in waxy, pale green stipules. They are conically shaped and often have narrow, accuminate tips. Stipules may be either glabrous or very discreetly pubescent. They are deciduous, and can grow up to 4.5cm long before shedding as the leaf unfurls. Syconia emerge near leaf axles or around nodes, and tend to be most densely concentrated towards branch tips, near apical shoots. Newly emerged syconia are bright green and miniscule: approx. 0.5-8mm long. They may have a slightly more ovate shape than mature syconia, which are often quite globular. Peduncles on new syconia are approx. 0.3-2mm long. |
| Leaf Description |
| The leaves are typically 1cm to 5cm wide and 2cm to 13cm long, growing in an alternate arrangement. They have a narrow, elliptic shape, with acute tips. Individual leaf bases vary slightly throughout the tree, and may be accuminate, oblique, or narrowly obtuse. Leaf margins are entire. Lamina are glabrous; petioles are subtly pubescent on some trees – the hairs being very weak or translucent – and glabrous on others. Petioles are 7mm to 4.3cm long, and bright green in colour. Healthy leaves are medium or dark green. Foliage will be more dense, with an almost whorled growth pattern, immediately surrounding a budding tip. |
| Flower Description |
| Inflorescences are contained within the paired syconia. Syconia have 2 or 3 basal bracts and are pedunculate, with peduncles 0.3mm to 5cm long. Ficus obliqua is a monoecious species: a syconium will produce both male and female florets, with females maturing first. The male flowers are pedicellate with a single anther; while female florets, which can be found clustered around and between the male florets, may be either pedicellate or sessile. Individual florets are separated by tiny interfloral bracts, and each flower has 3 or 4 tepals. The Small Leaved Fig is pollinated by particular wasp species, Pleistodontes greenwoodi and Pleistodontes xanthocephalus. They enter the syconium via its ostiole, a small hole at the tip of the receptacle that opens for pollinators and shuts once pollinated. Once inside the syconium, female wasps will deposit their eggs into unpollinated flowers. These become what’s known as ‘gall florets’. Once pollinated, the syconia will ripen into fruit. |
| Fruit Description |
| Can bear fruit at any time of year; though fruit production will increase and decrease in accordance with local pollinator populations. Individual fruits are approx. 1.5 cm in diameter and sprout in pairs. Fruits begin as firm, bright green syconia. Once pollinated, these inverted flowers begin to develop seeds and ripen as fruit. During this process, their tissue softens as their colour deepens; yellow from green, followed by shades of orange-gold, and eventually red when fully ripe. They have a globular shape. Tiny, textured spots often present on fruit that is ripe or approaching ripeness. These may be a paler or darker shade than the rest of the fruit. |
| Colour Description |
| Syconia are bright to medium green. Once pollinated, they ripen into shades of gold, orange, and finally red. Bark typically progresses from pale grey to medium grey-brown with growth and age, and may develop a mottled pattern of dark and light shades. Leaf surfaces are a rich medium to dark, glossy green colour; leaf undersides are a somewhat paler, duller green. Veins and new leaves are a light yellow-tinted green. |
| Texture Description |
| Changes significantly with size and age. Its neat, delicate foliage are characteristic of a fine-textured tree; however, the noted span and girth of older crowns and trunks render it likely to outgrow such a look. If a fine textured specimen is desired long-term, F. obliqua should be considered as a bonsai or regularly pruned container plant. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Sydney Botanic Garden, Sydney, Australia; Poona Point, Poona, Queensland, Australia. |
| Propagation |
| Typically grown from seed. Temperatures above 20°C, and soil temperatures between 25°C and 28°C are ideal for triggering an end to dormancy. To sew the seeds, choose a fine-textured medium with plenty of pore space, such as a well-draining seed starting mix or peat moss. Ensure the medium does not become dry – regular, gentle spraying with water is recommended – and that the seeds remain solidly in contact with the medium, but do not become buried beneath. Germination should occur within 1 to 7 weeks. Can also be propagated by air layering. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Ficus obliqua has multiple purposes in traditional Fijan medicine. Most parts of the tree – the sap, bark, roots, and leaves – have their place in one remedy or another. Examples of corresponding ailments include headaches, swollen joints, low breastmilk supply, and genital sores. The author of this plant profile was unable to definitively confirm or deny the safety or efficacy of such treatments; and, as such, politely dissuades the reader from trying them at home. |
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