Fig
Ficus thonningii
- Native to:
- Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caprivi Strip, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, DR Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Photo by David J. Stang
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Moraceae
- Genus:
- Ficus
- Species:
- Ficus thonningii
- USDA Symbol:
- FITH2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Subshrub , Tree , Vine
- Height:
- 2500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade
- 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:
- Resprouts vigorously from roots and trunk after fire damage; thick bark provides some protection on mature trees.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- good drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- thrives in riverine and forest edges
Propagation & Germination
- Notes:
- Seeds require passage through bird or bat digestive tract for optimal germination; fresh seeds germinate more readily.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI