Tree of the Week: Elephant Ear Fig Tree

The elephant ear fig tree –- Ficus auriculata

"Elephant ear" may be an exaggeration, but the leaves of this tree are huge, as much as 1 1/2 feet across. Add to that the very large figs seemingly sprouting directly atop of the trunk and you have a most unusual tree. This very tropical-looking member of the Moraceae, or mulberry, family, also known as Roxburgh’s fig and F. roxburghii, is native to rain forest edges and clearings in grasslands in India, Nepal, China and Southeast Asia.

The elephant ear fig tree is a briefly deciduous, moderately fast-growing small tree reaches 25 feet high and wide. The fairly smooth, short, light gray trunk soon divides in stout laterals. Young leaves start out mahogany red, then turn lush green. They are oval- to heart-shaped, 15 inches across or more. Since they are easily torn by wind it is best to grow them in a protected place; they also make great indoor plants. Branches and leaves share the common ficus characteristic of oozing a milky white sap when wounded.  Also typical for the species is that flowers occur inside a receptacle, which develops into the fleshy fig (technically called a synconium) once the flowers are pollinated by their proper wasp.

The fruits are popular and sweet, but not commonly eaten outside their native area. They grow on short spurs on the trunk and branches; this cauliflory (stem-flower) is thought to have developed to give climbing or flying pollinators living far below the forest canopy their chance too. The tree likes fairly constant moisture; it is not drought-resistant.

In the Southland we grow this tree for its beauty or interest but in other parts of the world, such as Nepal, where growing populations seriously threaten natural resources, it is one of several valuable fodder trees. There, the leaves are fed to cattle, and the trees protect the soil from erosion.

-- Pieter Severynen

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: Pieter Severynen

Comments

[syscom3]

Once again, here is a tree that should be banished from California.

Just what justification is there in having a tree that belongs in a rain forest to be here in a climate that is semi-arid?

[Keith]

Is the link to this blog gone? The times is killing this blog isn't it? Too funny. That Peter Hong who did this blog for a few days has a nice marketing piece written for/by the real estate industry today. LOOK HOW CHEAP HOUSES ARE!!!

Hint - Anything that is absolutely going to fall 15% to 25% in price in the next two years IS NOT CHEAP. IF YOU BUY NOW YOU WILL LOSE YOUR ENTIRE DOWNPAYMENT.

[Larry Noodle]

I sure hope this blog is not being killed. It was (and is becoming again, thanks to Lauren's improving posts) a beacon of sanity in this Kafkaesque world.

The RE industry spends a lot of bucks on print ads, and I'm sure they want to ensure their kool-aide is delivered undiluted by reality.

(sigh)

[Lauren Beale]

I have no indication this blog is going bust. We do have a lot of blogs at The Times -- and from time to time they revisit the mix and jettison some that aren't doing well --but L.A. Land is in the top 20 of about 40 so we should be fine for the foreseeable future. I am passing all the related comments (about email trouble, hard to find urls, comments not getting through, not finding the blog and the latest headlines on the Real Estate page) up the food chain in the hope of correcting some of these problems.
Lauren Beale

[blonddude]

Hey syscom3,

Banish!?!

This tree can be grown in a pot and use gray water. Or, in areas of high water tables or near springs, it's a fine accent. Both exist in the L.A. area.

Also, not all rainforest plants need high water and moisture to survive. Some adapt quite well to our climate, with minimal or no water, except for rain and fog derived moisture.

I would not want to see L.A. covered in this ficus, but it does have a time and a place here in the Southland.

Maybe you should try gardening?