Common Name:

General Information

Ficus altissima is a massive, evergreen tree with a large, spreading crown; it can grow 30 metres or more tall. The bole can be 40 - 90cm in diameter, with low buttresses[, ]. The plant usually begins life as an epiphyte, growing in the branch of another tree; as it grows older it sends down aerial roots which, when they reach the ground quickly form roots and become much thicker and more vigorous. They supply nutrients to the fig, allowing it to grow faster than the host tree. The aerial roots gradually encircle the host tree, preventing its main trunk from expanding, whilst at the same time the foliage smothers the foliage of the host. Eventually the host dies, leaving the fig to carry on growing without competition.
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of fibre and latex. It is planted as a pioneer species in reforestation projects in Thailand[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Andaman Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Lowland and mountain forests at elevations from 100 - 2,000 metres[, ]. Often starting off life as an epiphyte in the branch of a tree, it can also establish itself on walls, buildings, bridges, etc[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wasps
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

This species seems to be confined mainly to the higher elevations in the cooler, northerly part of its range, yet it is found in both lowland and mountainous areas in the more tropical southern part of its range, such as in Java, where it is not uncommon[].

A fast-growing tree[].
Fig trees have a unique form of fertilization, each species relying on a single, highly specialized species of wasp that is itself totaly dependant upon that fig species in order to breed. The trees produce three types of flower; male, a long-styled female and a short-styled female flower, often called the gall flower. All three types of flower are contained within the structure we usually think of as the fruit.
The female fig wasp enters a fig and lays its eggs on the short styled female flowers while pollinating the long styled female flowers. Wingless male fig wasps emerge first, inseminate the emerging females and then bore exit tunnels out of the fig for the winged females. Females emerge, collect pollen from the male flowers and fly off in search of figs whose female flowers are receptive. In order to support a population of its pollinator, individuals of a Ficus spp. Must flower asynchronously. A population must exceed a critical minimum size to ensure that at any time of the year at least some plants have overlap of emmission and reception of fig wasps. Without this temporal overlap the short-lived pollinator wasps will go locally extinct[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is planted as a pioneer species in northern Thailand in reforestation projects to restore native woodland - it is planted in degraded woodland and open areas in a mix with various other species that all have the ability to grow fast; produce dense, weed-suppressing crowns; and attract seed-dispersing wildlife, particularly birds and bats[].

Other Uses

A latex is obtained from the trunk and stems. It can be used to make a rubber, but this is of lower quality than the rubber obtained from Ficus elastica[].

The fibrous bark is used for cordage[].

Propagation

Seed -

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