Tree of the week: Ficus

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Good morning. Newcomers to this blog will be startled to see an item about trees, but it is a regular feature here. ‘Tree of the week’ is our Saturday morning break from mortgage madness, a moment of calm to celebrate one of the many trees in L.A’.s vast urban forest. What’s the link to housing? Houses here come with yards, and trees. Beautiful trees increase property values.

This week Pieter Severynen, our tree-loving friend, ruminates on the ficus:

Beware of the 800 lb gorillas!

Weeping fig – Ficus benjamina
Almost everything grows in Southern California. A blessing when you put in an orchard, it becomes a curse when the cute little tree you planted next to the house turns into a monster that takes over the yard. Ficus trees are notorious supersizers.

The weeping fig, with its lush, shiny, 5” long, evergreen leaves, is a dearly beloved houseplant. But plant it in the ground outside and the tree takes off to become a 60’ x 60’ round-headed giant that casts a dense shade. It is a beautiful, clean, smooth barked tree that needs to be treated with kid gloves. Give it lots of room and plant it 20’ or more away from the house: the greedy root system is invasive and pops up all over the garden, so forget about a lawn underneath. Planted at 2’ on center it can be used for a hedge as long as you rigorously trim it a few times a year (many shrubs are far better for this purpose). Planted in a large container it will last for many years.

Thanks, Pieter
Email Pieter: plseve@earthlink.net
Photo Credit: Bionatics.com