Plant of the Month – Time to Give a Fig
But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid; Micah 4:4
I’m generally more for “random musical references” kinda bloke but every now and then I’ll drag out something from my limited knowledge of the Old Testament. Figs are prominently featured in the Torah, the Old and New Testament and the Quran (Ficus carica) as well as a fig being the famous Bodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa) that Prince Siddartha Gautama meditated under attaining enlightenment to become the Buddha.
With 850 to 1000 species, the Ficus genus is found throughout tropical and warm temperate regions around the world, with the highest diversity found in South East Asia, Malesia and tropical South America. There is still some question over the ultimate origin of the figs though it’s generally accepted they first appeared around 75-85 million years ago.
In Australia we have at least 44 species of fig, with one only recently described, Ficus desertorum. In the Hunter Region (including the lower North Coast) we have 6 native fig species (as well as the odd rogue Rubber Tree Ficus elastica and Mediterranean Fig Ficus carica with Ficus benjamina and Ficus pumila causing issues in gardens and nearby bushland).
Sandpaper Figs
Easily identified by their rough and sandpaper like leaves these trees have been used as substitutes for sandpaper for polishing wooden tools and at a pinch cleaning cooking gear, Ficus coronata being the rougher one, feeling like a 180-240 grit sandpaper and Ficus fraseri being a little smoother at around 360-400 grit
Creek Sandpaper Fig Ficus coronata
A large shrub or small tree ,commonly found, funnily enough, near creeks across the Hunter Region. It produces purplish, oval shaped fruit which are the tastiest of the native figs I’ve tried.
Sandpaper Fig Ficus fraseri
Shinier and smoother leaves than Ficus coronata the fruits are yellow turning orange red when ripe and more resemble a flattened globe. In the Hunter it is found in the coastal north from Tuggerah Lakes with 2 old collections from Paterson and Stroud (1896 and 1915).
Big Figs
Moreton Bay Fig Ficus macrophylla
A large rainforest tree, leaves 10-25cm long, 7-10cm wide, often rusty underneath, fruit orange turning purple, 20-25mm diameter
Image from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Ficus~macrophylla
Port Jackson/Rusty Fig Ficus rubiginosa
Leaves generally 7-10cm long by 5-6cm wide, sometimes to 20cm long, underside of leaf hairy, fruit 10-20mm diameter, yellow turning red, usually warty.
Small Leaf Fig Ficus obliqua
A medium to large strangling fig, leaves 3-13cm long by 1.5-6cm long, smooth hairless underside, fruits 6-10mm diameter, orange with dark red spots.
Images from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Ficus~obliqua
Deciduous fig Ficus henneana
A strangling fig, tall buttressed, more or less deciduous, leaves 8-15cm long by 2-5cm wide, apex with a short, blunt point, base slightly cordate, hairless, relatively thin, fruits 15-25mm diameter, purple, pale spots, mostly coastal, inland to about Ravensworth.
Images from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Ficus~henneana