Common Name: Moreton Bay Fig

General Information

Ficus macrophylla is an evergreen tree with a wide spreading crown; it can grow over 60 metres tall in its native environment[]. The strongly buttressed bole can be up to 240cm in diameter[, ]. Although some seedlings germinate in the ground and grow into large trees, this species normally starts life in the forest as an epiphyte growing on the branch of another tree. As it grows larger, it sends down aerial roots which root into the ground below, providing the plant with extra nutriment and allowing it to out-compete the host tree, eventually smothering it[]. The trees gradually reach large proportions, with immense buttresses, trunks up to 8 metres or more in circumference, and branches both high and spreading[]. Aerial roots (if produced) grow mainly from large, framework branches near the ground, and these may produce a few extra trunks or props[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of latex and fibre. It is often grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

Australia - Queensland, New South Wales

Habitat

Rainforests[]. Sub-tropical, littoral and dry rainforests, and riverine scrub. Montane or coastal rainforest, often in soils derived from volcanics or alluvium[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	35.00 m
Pollinators	Wasps
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ficus macrophylla is a tree mainly ofseasonally dry, subtropical to tropical areas in Australia, where it succeeds at elevations up to 2,000 metres if given a sheltered site[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 34°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -8°c or lower, but new growth can be severely damaged at -0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 1,700mm[].
Prefers a sunny position[]. Grows well by the sea[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5[].
The tree has escaped from cultivation in some areas and invaded natural habitats[]. This can only happen when the species-specific wasp (Pleistodontes froggatti), which is necessary in order to pollinate this plant, is introduced into an area where the fig is grown[].
Fig trees have a unique form of fertilization, each species relying on a single, highly specialized species of wasp that is itself totaly dependant upon that fig species in order to breed. The trees produce three types of flower; male, a long-styled female and a short-styled female flower, often called the gall flower. All three types of flower are contained within the structure we usually think of as the fruit.
The female fig wasp enters a fig and lays its eggs on the short styled female flowers while pollinating the long styled female flowers. Wingless male fig wasps emerge first, inseminate the emerging females and then bore exit tunnels out of the fig for the winged females. Females emerge, collect pollen from the male flowers and fly off in search of figs whose female flowers are receptive. In order to support a population of its pollinator, individuals of a Ficus spp. must flower asynchronously. A population must exceed a critical minimum size to ensure that at any time of the year at least some plants have overlap of emmission and reception of fig wasps. Without this temporal overlap the short-lived pollinator wasps will go locally extinct[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. Acceptable when fully ripe[]. The fruit is 18 - 25mm in diameter[]. Sweet and tasty, though most of the fruit consists of gritty seeds[]. The globose fig is purplish when ripe[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The large, massive root system can be very destructive to roads, paths and buildings and because of the potential damage the tree is now seldom planted[].

Other Uses

The fibre obtained from the bark is very durable. It can be used to make bags, string etc[, , ]. If taken off carefully, the inner bark can be used to form a loose fabric[].

A latex obtained from the tree yields a rubber of very fair quality[].

The heartwood is white to pale brown; the sapwood pale. It is open-grained, with a beautiful wavy figure on a darker brown. This wood is so handsome, when properly selected, that it is a pity that it has no other properties that can recommend it, being soft, porous and with little durability. Easily worked, it can be used for packing cases, crates etc[, , ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, it germinates best at a temperature around 20°c[].
Air layering[].
Tip cuttings around 4 - 12cm long, taken from lateral branches[].
Cuttings of mature wood 10 - 12cm with a heel. Fairly easy, it is probably best if the cuttings are put in individual pots[].
Layering.