Common name: Weeping Fig, benjamin tree, golden fig, Java fig, tropic-laurel, Chinese banyan • Hindi: पुकर pukar • Marathi: नांदरूक nandaruk, नांदरूख nandarukh • Tamil: நீண்டமரவகை nintamaravakai, வெள்ளால் vellal • Malayalam: putra juvi • Telugu: Konda golugu, konda zuvvi, పెద్దాzఉవ్వీ pedda zuvvi, putra zuvvi • Sanskrit: banij, mandara
Botanical name: Ficus benjamina Family: Moraceae (Mulberry family)
The Weeping Fig is an evergreen tree, native to south and
southeast Asia. It is the official tree of Bangkok, Thailand.
It is a tree reaching 30 m
tall in natural conditions, with gracefully drooping branchlets and glossy
leaves 6-13 cm long, oval with a pointed tip. In its native range, its
small fruit are a favorite food of some birds. It is a very popular house
plant, due to its elegant growth and tolerance of poor growing conditions;
it does best under bright, sunny conditions but will also tolerate
considerable shade. It requires a moderate amount of watering in summer,
and only enough to keep it from drying out in the winter. It does not need
to be misted. The plant is sensitive to cold and should be protected from
strong drafts. When grown indoors, it can grow too large for its situation,
and may need drastic pruning or replacing. The leaves are very sensitive to
small changes in light. When it is re-located it reacts by dropping many of
its leaves and replacing them with new leaves adapted to the new light
intensity. Weeping Fig has many varieties like Ficus benjamina var.
nuda and Ficus benjamina var. comosa.
Identification credit: Ajinkya Gadave & Ventsislav
| Photographed at Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai. |
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