Red-leaved rock fig
Ficus ingens

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A fig. It is a small tree which loses its leaves. It is an erect tree and has a spreading crown. It grows up to 15 m tall. The branches touch the ground. It grows attached to other plants. The leaves are oval. They are 6-15 cm long by 3-10 cm wide. They are pale green and thinly textured. The new leaves are red. The base is slightly lobed and it tapers towards the tip. The fig fruit grow in the axils of the leaves. The fruit are round and 1-1.5 cm across. They are pale yellow or pink when ripe.

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. They usually grow on dry rocky soils. It is often on rocky slopes in cracks in the rocks. In Zimbabwe they grow between 300 and 1450 m altitude but are mostly at lower altitudes. They grow where the rainfall is below 100 mm. It can grow with annual rainfall between 100-1,300 mm. It is drought resistant. It grows between sea level and 2,100 m above sea level. It grows in the Sahel.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The figs are eaten raw. The young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.

The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings. Fruit should be collected before they drop and the seeds removed. The seeds are small and need to be sown with fine sand. Seeds germinate in 15-30 days. Cuttings can be of softwood or hardwood. They root easily. The wasp pollinator is Platyscapa soraria Wiebes.

Young seedlings grow slowly.

Its other names

Local names

Bithu, Dharef, Idotsi, Inkhokhokho, Inkimane, Inkiwane, Ja-Ja, Kazu, Kunkwiya, Kwece-kwece, Laze, Lugo, Makiwani, Monogani, Mooma, Msombe, mu-Karenju, Mulumba, Mushavhi, Mutsamvi, Muumo, Nkuwa, N'tonbozi, Ndebela, Ndola, Oduru, Qilinxo, Rooiblaavy, Shirinya, Tinaita, Tinayta, Tshikululu, Umkhonswane, Umthombe

Synonyms

Ficus lutea Vahl.; Ficus kawuri Hutch.; Urostigma ingens Miq.; Ficus katagumica Hutch.;