Ficus benghalensis

RHS Plant Profile
banyan
banyan visionspictures.com

Other common names

bo tree, East Indian fig tree, grove tree, Indian banyan, Indian fig, pagoda tree

Synonyms

Ficus indica

Trees Houseplants

A tropical evergreen tree, over 20m high in its native range, with widely spreading branches and aerial roots that often hang down to the ground, forming secondary trunks. Leaves are oval-shaped and leathery, flushed bronze when young, and dark green with paler veins when mature. Small, round figs are borne in pairs and ripen to bright red, though these are never pollinated outside the native range. Cuttings and young plants of this species are sometimes grown as houseplants

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

Higher than 12 metres

Max Spread

wider than 8 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
more than 50 years
Max Spread
wider than 8 metres
Max Height
Higher than 12 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H1A

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Moraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Spreading branched
Potentially harmful
Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus
Ficus can be evergreen or deciduous trees, shrubs or climbers, with often leathery, simple, entire or lobed leaves and tiny flowers borne within a hollow receptacle which enlarges to form the fruit
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow under glass (minimum temperature 15°C), in a peat-free, loam-based compost with added bark chippings, in full or filtered light. Water moderately in growth and keep moist over winter

Propagation

Propagate by seed, soaked for 12 hours and sown at 18-21°C in spring, or by semi-ripe cuttings with bottom heat in spring or summer. Plants bleed latex when cut, dip in charcoal powder to seal

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Houseplants

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, thrips, mealybugs and scale insects under glass

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus