What does a Moreton Bay fig tree look like?
The Moreton Bay fig is an evergreen tree that can reach heights of 60 m (200 ft). The trunk can be massive, with thick, prominent buttressing, and reach a diameter of 2.4 m (7.9 ft). The rough bark is grey-brown, and marked with various blemishes.
Can you eat Moreton Bay fig fruit?
Moreton Bay Figs, and many other fig species, can start life as seed that germinates in the branches of another tree, sending roots down to the ground. Figs with this growth habit are often referred to as banyans although in Australia we usually call them strangler figs. The fruit is edible, but not very palatable.
How big do Moreton Bay fig trees get?
50 metres tall
Description: Moreton Bay Figs grow up to 50 metres tall in some climates.
What is the difference between Moreton Bay fig and Port Jackson fig?
Their leaves, which are dark green on top and rusty brown underneath, are small compared to the Moreton Bay fig but, like all figs, they have a milky sap. Port Jackson fig fruit is arranged in opposite pairs with no stalk, and it ripens in autumn.
Are weeping figs native to Australia?
Ficus benjamina, commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok.
Are any figs poisonous?
Although the plant is not poisonous per se, F. carica is listed in the FDA Database of Poisonous Plants. Organic chemical compounds called furanocoumarins are known to cause phytophotodermatitis in humans. Thus there is no conclusive evidence that fig fruits cause phytophotodermatitis.
Is fig a fruit or flower?
Inside the rounded fruit of a fig tree is a maze of flowers. That is, a fig is not actually a fruit; it is an inflorescence—a cluster of many flowers and seeds contained inside a bulbous stem.
How quickly does a Moreton Bay fig grow?
It grows well as far south as Melbourne and also in Tasmania. It is a tree that grows better in areas with good soil, in warmer humid climates the tree will send down aerial roots, in cooler less humid climates this is less frequent. Growth rate is fast when the tree is young, slowing as it reaches 5 – 10 years.
Are Moreton Bay fig trees native to Australia?
The Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla) – native to parts of Australia and Lord Howe Island, is one such species and Clarence says, “There was an old tree on Lord Howe Island that covered an area of over one hectare.” The seeds of most fig trees need to find a host where they can germinate.
Are Ficus and fig trees the same?
The ficus species are commonly known as figs; they are part of the mulberry (Moraceae) family of plants. The figs include many broadleaf evergreen and deciduous trees, as well as shrubs and lianas. Weeping figs, rubber trees, and fiddle leaf figs are especially popular as for indoor growing.