Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Moraceae

Genus:

Ficus

Species:

Ficus benghalensis

USDA Symbol:

FIBE2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Tree

Height:

3000 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, bats, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers fertile soils with good organic content

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

None required

Germination Time:

15–90 days

Notes:

Seeds germinate best when passed through bird digestive tracts or cleaned of pulp. Fresh seeds germinate more reliably than dried seeds.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI