Ficus maclellandii 'Alii'Banana Leaf Fig

Ficus maclellandii 'Alii', sold in the trade simply as Ficus alii, is the fig grown for interiors that does not throw its leaves across the floor every time it is moved. Long, narrow, olive-green leaves hang softly from a slender upright trunk, giving a willow-like line quite unlike the round-leaved figs.

Indoors it is a lobby and atrium specimen; outdoors in the tropics it makes a small, light-canopied tree for a courtyard or a narrow planting bed.

Specifications

• Height3 to 10 metres outdoors, or maintained at 2 to 3 metres as an interior specimen
• Width2 to 4 metres
• Native toSoutheast Asia, from southern China and India through Indochina; Alii is a selected cultivar
• FoliageLong, narrow, softly drooping olive-green leaves; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers free-draining, humus-rich soils or a quality potting medium
• LightFull sun to partial shade outdoors; bright indirect light indoors
• WaterModerate; allow the surface to dry between waterings
• ClimateThrives in tropical and subtropical regions and in stable interior conditions; frost sensitive

Additional Features

• FormUpright slender trunk with a softly weeping, narrow-leaved canopy
• UsesIdeal for interior landscaping, atriums and hotel lobbies, shaded courtyards and narrow outdoor beds in the tropics
• SpacingPlant 2 to 3 metres apart outdoors, or use as a single container specimen indoors
• Low MaintenanceTolerates lower light than most figs and drops far fewer leaves when relocated
• Pest ResistanceGenerally resilient; inspect for scale and mealybug in interior conditions
• VersatilityGrown as a single-stem standard, a multi-stem specimen or a clipped narrow screen
• Air PurifyingCommonly specified in interior schemes for its dense foliage in low-light positions

The Banana Leaf Fig is the interior fig that survives being moved, which is most of the specification argument for it.