Bark cloth fig, Natal fig
Ficus natalensis

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A fig. It is an evergreen tree. It can be a shrub or a strangler. It lives off other plants. It grows up to 8-30 m tall. It can spread 15 m wide. The leaves vary a lot in shape. They are often thick, leathery and triangle shaped. They are 3-9 cm long by 1-4 cm wide. They occur in rings like a four leaf clover. The leaf tip is blunt. The fig fruit are 1.5 cm across. They are rusty brown.

There are about 800-1000 Ficus species. They are mostly in the tropics. There are 120 Ficus species in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in rocky situations. It grows in tropical and Southern Africa. It grows in areas with a high water-table. It grows between 10-2,200 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 600-800 mm. It can grow in arid places. It grows in Miombo woodland in Africa. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as dessert fruit.

The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

It is grown from seeds. The figs need to be crushed to release the seeds. It can be grown as a hedge. There are 6 pollinator wasp species.

It grows quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Ecalonyi, Idotsi, Inkiwane, Kachere, Kiditi, Kituba, Mugaire, Mugumo, Mutsamvi, Mutuba, Natal fig, Natalvy, Seepei, Triangle-leaf fig, Utambe, Xilaphane

Synonyms

Ficus triangularis; Ficus natalensis Hochst. var. pedunculata Sim; Ficus natalense (Hochst.) Miq.;