Sycamore Fig
Ficus sycomorus
- Native to:
- Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cape Verde, Caprivi Strip, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Source: Wikimedia | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Artist: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Alialb&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="User:Alialb (page does not exist)">Alialb</a>
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Moraceae
- Genus:
- Ficus
- Species:
- Ficus sycomorus
- USDA Symbol:
- FISY2
Growth Characteristics
- Height:
- 2000 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, monkeys, small mammals
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Mature trees can resprout from the trunk and roots following fire damage due to thick bark.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Commonly found along riverbanks and floodplains.
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination and should not be deeply buried. Fresh seeds germinate readily without pretreatment.