Common Name: Port Jackson Fig

General Information

Ficus rubiginosa is an evergreen tree with a dense, wide spreading crown; it can grow 6 - 50 metres tall. The bole is up to 2 metres in diameter, buttresses are sometimes present, but not conspicuous[, , , ]. The plant often begins life as an epiphyte or growing out of rocks. In harsh environments it remains small, but where the climate suits the plant grows much larger, sending down aerial roots from the tree 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 supplies a traditional fruit for the native people, whilst they also use its wood to make shields[]. It is occasionally harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. An attractive large spreading tree, it is sometimes grown as a hedge. It is well-suited as a shade or street tree, especially in drier areas, and should require little maintenance once initial pruning creates a good structural habit[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland.

Habitat

Monsoon forest, the drier, more seasonal rain forest and dry scrubs; at elevations up to 900 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Wasps
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The tree occurs in climates ranging from tropical to warm temperate, and from the well watered coast inland to areas bordering on semi-arid. Established plants can withstand short periods where the temperature drops to around -1°c[].
Easily grown in full sun or partial shade[]. Tolerant of extremes of soil fertility, it thrives on a variety of well-drained soils[]. It remains small in poor growing conditions, but if its roots reach better soils then it transforms into a large, free standing tree, thriving on high fertility soils[]. Once it is established, it can withstand periods of drought[]. The tree has been successfully grown in urban areas where air pollution, poor drainage, compacted soil, and/or drought are common[, ].
The tree is often grown as an ornamental. It requires a specific species of minute wasp to effect pollination of the flowers and cannot produce seed in the absence of the wasp. If by any chance the wasp shoupd be introduced to areas where the tree is grown as an ornamental (as has happened in Hawaii and New Zealand), then the tree often excapes from cultivation into the wild and can harm native environments[].
Rather slow-growing[].
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

Fruit - raw[]. The yellow fruit can be dried and pressed into cakes[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant responds well to trimming and has been grown as a hedge[, ].
The powerful root system can seriously damage urban infrastructure in the absence of adequate weed control measures[].

Other Uses

The light-coloured wood is light in weight, soft, brittle, and spongy ; it is used traditionally to make shields[] and is sometimes used for packing-cases. Although it sometimes shows a pretty grain, it would be waste of labour to spend much time on it[].

Propagation

Seed - as a hemi-epiphyte or lithophyte, the plant must be able to germinate and initially grow in low nutrient, arid conditions[].
Cuttings

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