Red- leaved fig
Ficus congesta, Fam. Moraceae
A small tree, 6-12m high, with a short trunk, smooth grey bark and widely spreading crown. It lacks aerial roots.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Small tree |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Leaf: | Egg-shaped or oval, hairy above, roughened beneath. Rounded teeth on margins, 10-25 x 8-15cm. New growth hairy. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Inconspicuous |
| Flower colour: | |
| Flower description: | Hairy receptacles with six longitudinal ridges, 1.5-2.5 x 1.2-1.5cm, borne on the trunk, larger branches and in the leaf axils. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Green, Orange, Yellow, Red |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Figs grow straight out of the trunk and are yellow, orange, red, or green, pear shaped or depressed globular, 2.5cm in diameter, rough with stiff hairs. |
| Habitat: | Gallery (riverine or riparian) forest, rainforest. |
| Distribution | Queensland, Northern Territory, New Guinea, Malesia. |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia, New Guinea, Malesia. |
| Notes: | Excellent shade and shelter tree, very strong in cyclonic conditions. However, they have a very invasive root system and shed large quantities of leaves. Due to the root system, they should not be planted close to buildings, paths or roadways. Propagate from seed, aerial layers or cuttings. Potential for bonsai. |
| Information sources: | Townsend K. & the Society for Growing Australian Plant Townsville Branch Inc. (1994) Across the Top: Gardening with Australian Plants in the tropics., Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia. |
