Ficus virensWhite Fig

Ficus virens is the banyan-habited fig of South and Southeast Asia, throwing a broad buttressed trunk and a canopy that often spreads wider than the tree stands tall. Twice a year it drops its leaves briefly and refoliates in a flush of pink and coral new growth, which is the most striking thing about it.

It is a park and boulevard tree for large sites only. The root system is powerful and opportunistic, and it should be kept well away from paving, drainage and structures.

Specifications

• Height20 to 30 metres
• Width20 to 35 metres
• Native toSouth and Southeast Asia through to northern Australia
• FoliageOvate leaves that flush pink and coral after a brief leafless period; briefly deciduous, usually twice a year
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilTolerates a wide range of soils, including poor and compacted ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterModerate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in tropical and humid subtropical regions

Additional Features

• UsesHeavy shade in large parks, civic grounds and boulevard verges with generous root volume
• SpacingPlant 15 to 20 metres apart, and no closer than 10 metres to any structure or service run
• Low MaintenanceLittle crown pruning is required, though root management must be designed in from the outset
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust; fig wasps and thrips cause cosmetic damage only
• Drought ToleranceEstablished trees hold their canopy well through dry seasons
• Wildlife AttractionHeavy fig crops feed birds, fruit bats and, in its native range, primates
• Seasonal AppealThe pink and coral refoliation flush is the principal ornamental event of the year
• FormA broad spreading crown over a buttressed trunk, often carrying aerial roots in humid climates

The White Fig is a magnificent large-scale shade tree for sites that can genuinely accommodate it, and a costly mistake on sites that cannot.