Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Moraceae

Genus:

Ficus

Species:

Ficus religiosa

USDA Symbol:

FIRE3

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Tree

Height:

3000 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

High

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

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

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, bats, small mammals

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Can resprout from roots and trunk after fire damage; established trees show some fire tolerance due to thick bark.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

fertile, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

6.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers alluvial soils near riverbanks

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

None required

Germination Time:

7–21 days

Notes:

Seeds germinate readily when fresh; best results when passed through bird digestive tract or surface-sown with light exposure.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI