November 20, 2009

E-Mail to Emily

Home

Composting

Houseplants

Pests of all Kinds

Landscape

Garden

Roses

Christmas

FAQ

Plants of the Week

Wildflowers and Weeds of the Week

Articles

Bookworms

Seed Exchange

Photography

Who's Who in Gardening
Bios and Interviews

What's Growing On

Quotes

Master Gardening

Gardening with Kids

Selected Links

Backyard Wildlife Habitat

Can You Identify This?

Garden Glossary

A Gardener's Garden

Emily (who we are)

Ficus pumila or Ficus repens
(pu-MEE-la)
'Creeping Fig' or 'Climbing Fig'
MORACEAE

FicusA large genus of about 800 species.

They are mainly evergreen trees, shrubs, and woody climbers. Some become outrageous and kill their host tree.

The group includes those we know as the rubber tree, Banjo fig, fiddle leaf fig, ficus benjamina.

But it is the tiny creeping fig that can be used as a topiary. Its root clinging ability makes this evergreen perennial a fun addition and landscape touch to walls.

Propagation can be done by seed, but mostly by semi-ripe cuttings.

It does not come without problems - mealy bugs, scale, root knot nematodes, thrip and spider mites are attackers.

But still this is a fun plant to grow.