Giant-leaved fig
Ficus lutea

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A strangler fig. It often grows attached to other plants. It can grow to a large tree. It grows 18 m high. It can spread 12 m wide. The trunk can be 3 m around. The crown is very wide and round. It can have aerial roots. The bark is grey brown. The leaves are large and evergreen. The leaves are dark green and slender. They are 38 cm long by 20.5 cm wide. They are crowded near the ends of branches. The leaf stalks are 2-8 cm long. The tip is pointed and the base is rounded. The leaf stalk is 12 cm long. The leaves are in spirals on stout small branches. The figs are small and orange-red when ripe. They are crowded closely together along the ends of the branches. They are 1-1.7 cm across.

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 river forests and woodland. In East Africa it grows from sea level to 2,000 m altitude. It can be in palm groves, on the edges of mangroves and in coastal sands. It grows in areas with a rainfall of 600-1000 mm per year. It grows in the Sahel. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa (country/location of origin), Angola, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fig fruit are eaten as a snack.

The leaves are commonly eaten in Senegal.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds. It can be grown from branch cuttings. Cuttings grow easily.

Plants grow quickly under warm, moist conditions. A fruit can weigh 3 g.

Its other names

Local names

Amontana, Be lak, Belaque, Bi toge, Bupoco, Cobo, Fugera, Laha, Metololo, Mkuyu, Mumbu, Nekbudu, Ofonto, Ordenae, Ordenal, Pama, Pohon ara daun lebar, Sufa-soto, Tcheguedje, Tcheque-sumo, Tcheque, Vogel's fig, Zulu fig

Synonyms

Ficus akaie De Wild.; Ficus baronii Baker; Ficus nekbudu Warb.; Ficus pseudovogelii A. Chev.; Ficus quibeba Ficalho; Ficus senegalensis Miq.; Ficus subcalcarata Warb.; Ficus vogelii (Miq.) Miq.; Urostigma vogelii Miq.; and others Ficus zuluensis; ?