The ficus plant is its homeland. Ficus, types and variety of names Ficus flower is the birthplace of the plant

This beautiful indoor culture takes pride of place on our windowsills and is represented by many varieties. But if her entire genus has about 2000 species, then 20 of them are domestic, most of which are evergreen, and some are deciduous. From which countries did these beautiful flowers come to us, in what forms can they be seen, and what is the origin of individual species?

Ficus is a plant of the glorious mulberry family, which is often called the rubber tree. It is easy to explain - the juice of the culture consists of 15 percent of this substance. It is native to the tropical and subtropical forests of Malaysia, the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Another famous homeland of the plant is New Guinea. Impressive specimens grow there, reaching 40 meters in height. Their trunk diameter is about 5 meters. Most species of such trees have huge and shiny leaves that grow in a downward direction. At the same time, the flowers of such plants are medium in size and form beautiful inflorescences. Parts of the culture are characterized by the presence of a specific milky juice. It is widely used in Latin America for the manufacture of medicinal tinctures that are used to treat benign tumors.

In another well-known homeland of culture - in southern Indonesia and the regions of India located in the northeast, this plant is even recognized as sacred. Buddhists living here believe that, being under it, the Buddha was able to enter nirvana. In Ceylon, it is believed that, planted for the first time in 288 AD, this tree is the personification of spirituality. It can be seen in all local temples. Arriving on the island, believers traditionally tie bright ribbons on the branches of such trees.

In the wild, the well-known fig or fig tree still grows. But few people know that it also belongs to the mulberry family and is actually called ficus Karika. Its homeland is ancient Mesopotamia, in the modern version it is the territory of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey. Whatever variety of ficus you choose, the country of its origin leaves an imprint on the appearance of the plant, the size and color of the foliage, and the features of the content. At home, such a plant usually does not grow above 1 - 2 meters. According to the teachings of Feng Shui, ficus is able to cleanse the energy of the home, create favorable conditions for any fruitful activity.

In what forms can they grow

Under natural conditions, they grow in the form of shrubs, trees, unusual climbing and creeping vines. There are also quite large vines among them - for example, hairy ficus. Many species begin development as epiphytes - such as golden ficus. They are also able to form additional roots, developing on other plants. After a while, such neoplasms descend to the ground. This is a banyan ficus, which in its homeland can form a Bengal, Indian and sacred ficus.

Experts call the main life forms of such a plant epiphytes, stranglers, banyans, bottle or caudes, earth or aggressive. In a number of tropical plants at different stages of development, there is a frequent change of life forms. They can, starting life on other cultures, become stranglers, then banyans. And they are also able to develop in the form of simple evergreen trees.

Various strangler ficuses grow in the tropical forests of America and Asia. They get many advantages - being located in the crown of the owner, they get excellent access to light. And, being in the crevices of other trunks, they are protected from the scorching sun. A wax coating on the surface of the foliage allows such crops to have enough moisture for normal growth and full development. When it gets stronger, a small bush of such a tree releases aerial roots. Since the ground with minerals and water is very low, they can now grow in humid tropical air.

With overgrown roots, the strangler entangles the host, forming a kind of skeleton and inhibiting its growth. Over time, the host tree inevitably dries out. Banyan is another peculiar form of vegetative propagation. Numerous aerial roots hang down in garlands, appearing on horizontally arranged branches of an adult specimen. Often such life forms form multi-stemmed trees-groves. In India, there is the famous Calcutta Botanical Garden called "The Great Banyan".

In it you can see a bright representative of the banyan grove, with about 1000 trunks. His age is 160 years. Engineers rightly compare the banyan tree to a spatial articulated structure, which is distinguished by its ability to withstand even strong gusts of wind. Getting to New Guinea, travelers see interesting low-growing climbing vines, which are attached to a support with aerial roots. Some of these cultures are usually used to decorate the walls of houses - for example, a tiny ficus. In the people for this, he received the beautiful name "alpinist from East Asia." And indoors, such crops are used as groundblood and ampelous.

Video “About growing ficuses”

The origin of individual varieties of ficuses

As mentioned earlier, at home, lovers of indoor crops prefer to grow about 2 dozen varieties. One of the most popular is the rubber-bearing type of flower. It grows and develops well, does not require complex care, has a strong immunity to most diseases. Easily tolerates the pruning procedure, quickly recovers. This tree-like flower grows up to 2 meters, has dark green oval-shaped foliage up to 35 cm in size. The culture comes from hot countries - Nepal, Burma, West Africa, the Himalayas.

The variety has a variety characterized by beautiful variegated leaves. Green-leaved varieties are less demanding on growing conditions. Variegated varieties include the rubber-bearing Robusta and the Black Prince with leaves of the same color. Variegata has green leaves and cream edging, while Doechery has variegated foliage with a red vein and pink spots on the surface.

The lyre-shaped flower has pretty light green leaves. This ficus got its name for the shape of the leaves, very reminiscent of this musical instrument. It comes from the tropical and lowland forests of West Africa. In the wild, it can grow up to 12 meters. It has an upright trunk without aerial roots, the length of the leaf plate is up to 60 cm.

Dwarf or pimula - an ampelous plant in the form of a creeping and climbing liana with thin and long shoots about 5 meters in size. Found in China and Japan. By nature, it has small heart-shaped leaves up to 3 cm long. It covers the ground with a beautiful carpet and gives roots. The size of the leaves of adult crops reaches 10 cm. Variegated species are also found among dwarf varieties.

The countries of origin of the creeping variety are the tropical regions of America, Asia and Africa. Such a shrub is a creeping miniature species with rounded leaves. It has adventitious roots, perfectly climbs up the bark of trees.

A retuza variety, also known as laurel, also blunted, is an alien from the tropics of Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Many flower growers know him as Cuban. Such a culture is perfect for creating bonsai, having an interesting stem shape. It has glossy green egg-shaped leaves that are up to 10 cm long.

The rusty variety, which is also known as the Australian variety, since it grows on the territory of this country, is a bit like rubber. It is an evergreen and spreading tree of medium size. It has beautiful red shoots and dark green foliage that grows up to 25 cm. The apical shoots are pubescent and painted in a pleasant bright pink hue. A variation of the rusty-leaved variety is a variegated form with a creamy-white edging of the leaves. Aerial roots form at the bottom of the trunk.

Known to every gardener, the Benjamin variety came to our country from the tropics of Asia, where it is found at the foot of the mountains. Under natural conditions, it is an evergreen tree up to 20 meters high. At home, such a culture barely reaches 2 meters. It is the symbol tree of Bangkok. It has leaves that resemble an egg in shape, and the Baroque variety has leaves in the form of a spiral. From such a culture, excellent bindings are obtained, which are made from props of aerial roots.

From India, we got a rooting variety from this family. It is unusual in appearance, has a large number of curly thin shoots. Its dark green leaves pointed at the ends with a white stripe along the edge are on the roots. The length of each is up to 7 cm.

A variety of karika, or fig, or fig tree is mentioned in the Bible. Its fruit, the fig tree, was once forbidden, and the first people on Earth created garments from the leaves. This culture grows in India, Europe, North and South Africa, is found in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. It is a medium sized deciduous shrub with a spreading crown. Its decorative leaves have a broadly lobed, palmately incised shape, light yellow and white veins are visible on the surface. The Karika variety includes Kadata, Black San Pedro, Dalmatika, Black Crimean, Shuisky.

Ivy-shaped - a native of Burma, Laos, Thailand, South China. It is a climbing shrub with aerial roots located at leaf nodes. They have a narrow shape and somewhat sharp edges, grow up to 11 cm. At the bottom of the leaf plate there is a pubescence resembling bristles. Mountain variety Montana is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, Indochina. Such a tree-like shrub reaches 1.5 meters in height. It has beautiful rich green leaves in the shape of an egg up to 10 cm long, on which dark veins are located.

The sacred species was first seen on the territory of such countries as India, Thailand, Taiwan, China. Under natural conditions, it grows up to 30 meters. At the bottom of the trunk forms roots-props. The religious variety has large leaves of an interesting heart-shaped shape up to 20 cm long. An amazing phenomenon is associated with it - when the pressure changes at the tips of the foliage, juice comes out, which is called the weeping of a sacred tree. Its leaves surprise with a greenish-blue color with a characteristic white vein.
The triangular variety is found in distant Africa, where it can reach 30 meters in height. It has pretty triangular-shaped leaves up to 10 cm in size with a vein symmetrically located in the center. At home, it even produces round, light yellow fruits.

A variegated variety is a low-growing shrub up to 1 meter high. On the surface of its leaves of a dark green hue, brown spots are clearly visible. It bears fruit with inedible berries resembling olives in size and color. Parcella is a fast growing tree that has dense lush foliage. Received from nature hard oval-shaped leaves, on the surface of which bright yellow strokes are located.

Bengal Banyan flower has good branching. In the wild nature of India and New Guinea, it grows in huge plantations. This invasive species inhibits the growth of all undersized crops located under it. At home, it’s really possible to grow a tree up to 7 meters tall. Rough or aspera is a medium-sized tree growing up to 1.5 meters, with lush foliage. It is characterized by good branching, the bottom of the trunk is bare. On the leaves of dark green there is spotting and dashes of pink, also white. They form a magnificent marble pattern. It grows in the tropics from the Eastern Himalayas to the Philippines and Micronesia.

ficuses are again gaining wild popularity, especially as indoor plants - for their originality and unpretentiousness in care. But many of us know little about ficuses. Let's get to know them better.

The genus Ficus belongs to the Mulberry family (Moraceae). Other well-known plants belong to the same family, for example, mulberry, paper tree, breadfruit, maclura, Brazilian dorstenia. Ficus was isolated by C. Linnaeus in 1753. Now up to 1000 species are known, which are distributed in the equatorial and subequatorial belt in the territory from about 35 o north to 35 o south latitude - in Africa, America, Asia, Australia.

There are so many different types of ficuses in the world that it is easy to confuse them. The difficulty in identification also lies in the fact that the same type of ficus can be found under different names, or, conversely, two different ficuses can have the same name. To avoid such confusion, it is customary to put at the end of each Latin name the name of the scientist who first described this species, often in an abbreviated form.

If other plants can be recognized by leaves, then this number will not work for ficuses), because very often a ficus leaf plate within one variety can change more than between varieties. This feature is called heterophilia, a prominent representative of which can be called ficus heterophyllous, or deltoid. Therefore, when determining one or another type of ficus, attention is also paid to the color of the bark, the size and color of syconia, the nature of the venation of leaf plates, and the general appearance of plants.

Each type of ficus has its own habitat on Earth. For example, in the Amazon River basin there are such types of ficuses that cannot be seen anywhere else.

Ficuses growing in equatorial humid forests have an evergreen crown with hard, shiny leaves, adorning powerful columnar trunks, at the base of which are flat plank-shaped roots, which also rise above the ground several meters in height. In the equatorial climate, where it is always warm and very humid, plants grow all year round. At evergreen ficuses, for example, ear-shaped ficus, crater-leaved ficus, old leaves do not have time to turn yellow and fall off, as new, young leaves bloom again. That's why they seem to be evergreen.

In the mountainous regions of the tropics, at an altitude above 1.5 kilometers above sea level, ficuses with densely pubescent leaves, for example, ficus Hirta. Pubescence protects ficuses from hypothermia. Cherry ficus has pubescence in the form of short bristly hairs, almost invisible, but because of their presence, the ficus leaf plate seems rough.

In the subequatorial zone, where there are periods of drought that can last several months, there are growing semi-deciduous(cape ficus, or sur, sacred ficus, racemose ficus) and deciduous ficuses. The erect ficus (Ficus erecta) is considered to be completely deciduous. Even those plants that grow far from their homeland shed their old leaves every year in October, and new leaves appear only in January.

In ficus dye, or green (Ficus infectoria), the leaves fall off twice a year: in autumn and spring. His young leaves begin to bloom at the ends of the shoots, when the old leaves have not all fallen off.

On the rocky slopes of the mountains of the Mediterranean, in Iran, Central Asia, the carian ficus (Ficus carica), better known as the fig, or fig tree, grows. This is a deciduous ficus that freezes over after severe frosts, but quickly recovers in the form of root shoots.

Semi-deciduous ficus rough (Ficus aspera), sheds only part of the leaves.

Among the ficuses there are not only trees, but also shrubs, for example, scaly ficus (Ficus ramentacea), as well as large creepers, a typical representative of which is hairy ficus (Ficus villosa).

On the island of New Guinea grows a lot undersized ficuses in the form of small climbing vines that cling to the support with aerial roots. One of them - tiny ficus (Ficus pumila) - is called the "climber from East Asia" and is used to decorate the walls of houses in tropical countries. In room conditions, such ficuses are used as ampelous or ground cover plants.

There are ficuses that start life as epiphytes on other trees, then, as they grow, turn into banyans or strangler ficuses. How the epiphyte behaves rubber ficus (Ficus elastica), golden ficus (Ficus aurea), high ficus (Ficus altissima).

Strangler ficuses belong to the category of natural wonders. Tropical plant researchers J. Korner and A. Fedorov described the approximate life cycle of strangler ficuses. Birds or insects carry ficus seeds to the top of a large tree. The seeds germinate, and at first the ficus receives nutrients from the air and water with the help of its aerial roots. Gradually, the roots wrap around the trunk of the tree on which they grow. As soon as the aerial roots of the ficus reach the ground, they quickly take root and begin to grow rapidly in thickness. Some roots grow together, cover and squeeze the entire trunk of the tree. The tree dies, turning into humus, but continues to serve as food for the ficus for a long time. When the tree finally disappears, a strong frame-trunk of intertwined and fused roots of the strangler ficus remains in its place.

Another, no less exotic form of ficus life - banyan, which got its name in honor of the sacred tree of India - Bengal ficus (Ficus benghalensis). Strangler ficuses turn into banyan trees in the later stages of growth. Over time, on the horizontal branches of an adult tree, aerial roots hang in garlands, which, having reached the ground, take root, thicken and turn into additional trunks. Sometimes such offspring trunks are separated from the mother plant. But often multi-stemmed groves grow. In the Calcutta Botanical Garden (India), the "Great Banyan" grows, which has up to 1000 root offspring. This tree is 160 years old and it will take 10-15 minutes to walk around it. Other large banyan trees cover an area of up to 2 hectares.

However, not every plant in this group of ficuses turns into banyans. This is facilitated or hindered by the natural conditions in which ficuses grow. For example, yellow ficus in the arid regions of Africa grows like an ordinary tree, without even growing to its maximum size.

Malaysia and New Guinea have earth ficuses, in which shoots develop in the lower part of the trunk, underground. Leaning and reaching the ground, the shoots penetrate the surface layers of the soil, forming inflorescences there, which eventually become seedlings. Earthen ficuses include long-horned ficus (Ficus uncinatavar. strigose).

There are even succulent ficuses. Such ficuses grow in arid areas. And in order not to lack moisture, they store it in a thickened trunk. These ficuses include Ficus palmeri (Ficus palmeri).

Ficus flowering- this is another of the wonders in the plant world. The fruit of a ficus is called a fig. In fact, sweet berries with an abundance of small seeds are fruit. They are usually pear-shaped with a hole at the top. Scientifically, ficus seedlings are called syconia. They are lined inside with flower petals, but you can see the petals only by breaking the fruit in half. In general, ficus has three types of flowers: male, consisting of stamens; female, consisting of pistils; and another type of inflorescence with long pistils, which turn into a sweet fruit. In wild ficuses, all three inflorescences are on the same tree. Only in cultivated forms of the fig tree, the inflorescences that form the fruit are found on female trees and are called figs. Male infructescences (caprifigs) always remain hard and inedible.

Pollination of ficuses occurs with the help of insects. There is a variety of wasps that pollinate only ficuses. Some seedlings of ficus wasps are used as incubators for breeding. Flying into one or another inflorescence, wasps transfer pollen from stamens to pistils. Wasp larvae overwinter in male inflorescences - caprifigs. However, new parthenocarpic varieties of figs have been bred - seedlings develop without pollination and seed setting.

Ficus has another wonderful property - caulifloria, thanks to which its inflorescences, and then infructescence, develop directly on the trunk.

No matter how ficuses are tied to their habitat, a person successfully intervenes in the life of ficuses. Now many beautiful varieties and forms of ficuses have been bred for every taste. Some species of ficus have been transplanted from their usual habitat to other places, and they have successfully established themselves in the new place. Now ficuses decorate not only city streets, parks in areas with a warm climate, but also our homes.

When writing the article, materials were used https://ru.wikipedia.org;
Literature: In Chekurov "Ficuses".
Image source: www.tropicaldesigns.com, www.happyho.ru, http://biodiversity.sci.kagoshima-u.ac.jp, https://www.flickr.com - Brian Chiu, Black Diamond Images, Joel Abroad , Hans Hillewaert, Reuben C. J. Lim, *L, S.J. & Jessie Quinney Library, Tim Waters, rosch2012, Pedro Garcia

Big banyan in the homeland of ficus - India

Ficus is rightfully considered one of them. This plant belongs to the mulberry family and is popularly called the rubber tree, since its juice is fifteen percent of the indicated substance.

Ficus is native to the subtropical and tropical forests of Malaysia, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. More than nine hundred are known, and all of them have significant differences.

In nature, ficuses can be:

In addition, they can also develop on other plants, forming adventitious roots, which subsequently reach the ground itself. These are the so-called. In the homeland of ficus, banyans form Bengal ficus, sacred ficus and Indian ficus.

Another famous ficus homeland is New Guinea. There are often plants that reach a height of more than forty meters, while the diameter of their trunk is at least five meters. Most species have large, often glossy leaves, which can sometimes be lowered down. The flowers of the plants are small and collected in inflorescences. All parts of this plant contain milky juice. In the homeland of ficus, in Latin America, special medicinal tinctures are made from it, which are used in the treatment of benign tumors.

Ficus racemose tree at home, in India

In southern Indonesia and the northeastern regions of India, which are known as the birthplace of ficus, this evergreen plant is considered sacred. It is revered by local Buddhists, since it was under it that Buddha reached the state of nirvana in meditation and meditation. In addition, the described plant can be found in all the temples of Ceylon without exception. There, according to ancient tradition, it was first planted in 288 BC. These plants are considered symbols of high spirituality, and numerous pilgrims tie colorful ribbons on them.

At home, the plant rarely grows more than one or two meters in height. According to the teachings of Feng Shui, it not only has positive energy, but also helps to increase efficiency, and also helps to concentrate on a particular business.

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8 comments on the entry “The birthplace of indoor ficus”

Big banyan in the homeland of ficus - India

Ficus is one of the most popular houseplants. This plant belongs to the mulberry family and is popularly called the rubber tree, since its juice is fifteen percent of the indicated substance.

Ficus is native to the subtropical and tropical forests of Malaysia, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. More than nine hundred species of ficus are known, and all of them have significant differences.

In nature, ficuses can be:

shrubs;
trees;
climbing or creeping vines.

Ficus sacred in Malaysia

In addition, they can also develop on other plants, forming adventitious roots, which subsequently reach the ground itself. These are the so-called ficuses - banyans. In the homeland of ficus, banyans form Bengal ficus, sacred ficus and Indian ficus.

Ficus racemose tree at home, in India

Banyan The name "banyan" is not the name of a plant, but the name of a particular biological life form, a specific feature.
How to recognize and prevent ficus diseases Ficus is one of the most common plants in various institutions, houses, apartments. Perfectly adapts to
The homeland of domestic plants When studying the features and rules for caring for a new flower, many housewives often do not even think about it.
The birthplace of domestic violets Such a flower, familiar to lovers of indoor plants, as violet has a very modest history. This is a plant.

I read and understood - I know very little about this amazing plant. Although, try to call a plant something that grows up to 40 meters in height, and in diameter reaches up to five meters!

Oh, I have never seen such huge ficuses! For some reason, my ficus never bloomed. It grew almost to the ceiling, had to be cut off, after which it gradually began to fade and disappeared. Maybe I did something wrong.

And at my house it grew in a small pot and was such a small flower, and when I transplanted it into a large flower garden, it grew a lot in a year and became like a tree.

Alevtina, it is very important to transplant plants, including ficuses, into new, larger pots in time. Otherwise, you can just ruin your favorite flower.

Most likely, ficuses often bloom in their homeland under natural conditions, but for some reason I have never seen blooming indoor ficuses - these plants generally bloom at home and, if so, how often ?!

Unfortunately, at home, ficuses practically do not bloom. At home, everything contributes to this: climate, natural atmosphere and fresh air. And in the premises of our country, it is very difficult for plants to show all their beauty.

In Asia, they really worship this beautiful tree, one might even say they idolize it. If only we in Russia were so worshiped at least before the Russian beauty - birch.

For several years, my ficus grew to a certain size, and I transplanted it into a large pot. After half a year, the flower disappeared. I still can’t understand what contributed to this, but I read in a smart book that the pot must be selected in such a way that the roots have enough space. And in my huge pot, the ficus began to grow a root, with abundant watering, the root rotted - this is how I explained to myself the reason for the death of the flower.

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All about the amazing indoor plant Ficus Benjamin: a description of the species

Ficus Benjamin is one of the leaders in popularity among indoor plants.

A huge variety of ficus species provides an opportunity to choose exactly the plant that best fits into the interior of an office or apartment.

The need to regularly cut a fast-growing specimen will allow you to even shape its crown the way you want.

plant description

Outwardly, Benjamin's ficus resembles a small tree. The short trunk is covered with gray-beige bark.

The crown of Benjamin is lush, branched.

The tropical past of a houseplant is reminiscent of aerial roots or their rudiments (in their natural habitat, they absorb water from the air).

The color of the leaves - from plain green or light to variegated with the most diverse "graphics" of the pattern.

The original version - this cannot be done with any other representatives of the room flora. However, you can also purchase a single plant ficus Benjamin.

If you want to plant a winter garden or a greenhouse, it is difficult to find something better than a ficus.

Rich, glossy foliage pairs well with other houseplants and does not require any special, time-consuming care.

Benjamin's homeland is the tropical forests of Asia. This representative of the mulberry family is found today in China, India, Australia, Hawaii and the Philippines.

In its natural habitat, it stretches up to 25 meters in height. While his room relative reaches a meter and a little, and it takes him about ten years to do this.

A houseplant quickly becomes lush, branches well, so the formation of a plant crown is one of the main directions in caring for a plant. The shape of the "haircut" can be selected from several options:

bushy;

in the form of a ball;

in the form of any sculpture;

according to the bonsai principle.

By the way, the bonsai haircut works well due to the fact that ficus shoots do not lose their elasticity for a very long time and allow you to do all the necessary manipulations with yourself.

It must also be borne in mind that the younger the plant, the easier it is to cut.

And you also need to know a number of rules: use only sterile tools, protect the bark from damage, and do not cut off the leaves manually.

It is worth adhering to the principle of measuring seven times before using scissors or pruners: so as not to spoil the appearance of the plant.

Try to mentally keep in mind the result you are striving for, and cut only those branches that do not fit into the ideal image created by your imagination.

You can weave a pigtail or spiral from semi-lignified stems, as specialized stores offer, on your own, but not earlier than the lower part of the plants, from which you start weaving, reaches a length of thirteen centimeters.

As it grows further, turn after turn is added, and the pigtail itself (so that it does not unwind) is held with electrical tape or woolen thread. By the way, the plant from such a "braid" is only good - the stems become stronger.

root system

Benjamin roots tend to be very strong. It is no coincidence that plants in their homeland take measures to protect sidewalks and underground communications from the destructive action of its roots.

For a home plant, it is important to choose the right pot. It should not be too large, wide - in such a ficus it will grow slowly, mastering the underground space centimeter by centimeter. But crampedness is useless - the root system should be comfortable.

Aerial roots, characteristic of ficuses growing in the natural environment, are rarely observed in indoor plants: they simply do not need much, the efforts of the traditional root system are enough to extract water and nutrients from the soil.

The plant blooms only in natural conditions and in greenhouses, the climate of which and the conditions of detention are close to natural. However, there are no rules without exceptions: according to flower growers, sometimes their homemade ficuses also bloomed.

The inflorescence called syconium is more like a red berry with a small hole, and if you don’t know what it is, you can start to worry if your plant has some strange disease.

Specialists brought out a great many different types of ficus Benjamin. The differences between them, as a rule, lie in the color, shape and size of the leaves.

Here are some of these varieties:

Baroque- unpretentious, very similar to a miniature tree and has many subspecies with leaves of different shapes and colors.

Anastasia- differs in original pattern and leaves, it is very catchy, patterned.

starlight- its feature is variegated leaves with white or cream spots on a green background.

Golden King- this plant is fully consistent with its name, it is the real king of angry ficuses. It grows well, allows you to form beautiful tall trees, has a noble color of leaves with golden edging.

Ficus Golden King

variegated- This handsome man really does not like to change the situation. By purchasing it, find the plant a permanent place to live.

Daniel- a bright, cheerful green representative of Benjamin's ficuses. Not as demanding on conditions as its variegated counterparts.

Benjamina Mix- a magnificent representative of the genus, which can have leaves of very different colors - from plain to variegated. Whimsical and requires a lot of attention.

Ficus Benjamin Mix

Kinky- easily tolerates a haircut and allows you to form any crown. It is also from Kinka that graceful trees with several trunks are “weaved”.

Natasha- a dwarf variety of Benjamin with a compact beautiful crown and variegated oval leaves.

Home care

Ficus Benjamin requires simple, but still special care, compared to other indoor flowers.

The plant does not like direct sunlight and drafts, so keep it a few meters from the window.

Instead of watering, use spraying (once or twice during the day). Take water either boiled or settled, at room temperature.

The plant does well in high humidity. He needs a particularly humid environment in the summer, so you need to periodically spray ficus leaves.

Like any plant, Benjamin can get sick. Read about the diseases your pet is most prone to here. You will also find some useful tips for growing ficus in this article.

Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out regularly, every two to three weeks, but not all year round, but from the beginning of spring to September.

Watch a video with tips for caring for ficuses at home:

We bring to your attention a few more materials that will help you grow a healthy plant. Read all about ficus transplantation and its reproduction.

Conclusion

Many people believe in the magical properties of the plant.

For example, it is considered a sure sign that Benjamin attracts wealth and prosperity to the house.

There is also an opinion that the plant is able to extinguish negative emotions, fill the house with happiness.

Like it or not, it's hard to say, but the fact that ficus neutralizes formaldehyde, one of the most dangerous substances that pollute the air in residential premises, has been proven by scientific research.

Having acquired such a beautiful and useful green pet, you will certainly not regret it.

Homeland of the ficus plant

The birthplace of the ficus plant ... Ficuses are very popular in indoor crop production due to the decorativeness of their leaves. These plants belong to the genus Moraceae. The birthplace of ficus is Southeast Asia, the islands of Java, Ceylon and Barneo, as well as the tropics and subtropics of Australia.

Ficuses are so varied in size, shape, and leaf color that house plant lovers will never cease to admire them. These representatives of the mulberry family can be tree-like, liana-shaped or shrubby. A distinctive feature of these plants is the obligatory presence of sticky milky juice at a break or cut.

In their natural habitat, most ficuses are evergreens, but sometimes there are deciduous species: Ali, Natasha, Viandi, Elastica. These species shed their leaves in October, and new ones begin to grow starting in February.

Ficuses have a very diverse shape and color of leaves, and the size of plants is simply amazing in its contrast. Miniature ficuses - small-leaved Pumila and ivy Hederacea - are used as ground cover. The largest leaf of these babies barely reaches a size of 1.5 cm. The largest Bengal ficus Banyan reaches a height of 30 m, and its crown is very sprawling, up to 5 thousand meters in diameter.

There is a well-known fig or fig tree in nature, the fruits of which are loved by many. But not everyone knows that this tree belongs to the mulberry family and bears the proud name of ficus Karika. The birthplace of the ficus Karika plant is ancient Mesopotamia, that is, the modern territory of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Whichever ficus you choose, the homeland of the plant leaves an imprint on its appearance, size and color of the leaves and on growing conditions at home or in greenhouses. And only strictly following all the tips and rules for caring for these beautiful plants, they will allow you to admire their beautiful and interesting shapes and colorful shiny leaves. For perfect care, ficuses will reward you with the same perfect flowering - beautiful hollow rounded or pear-shaped inflorescences with many small and fragrant flowers inside.

What is the origin of the violet plant?

For those who identify lilac forest flowers with homemade violets, we want to say right away that these are completely different types of plants. The indoor variety is called "Saintpaulia" and is very different in its structure and properties. As already mentioned, the birthplace of Saintpaulia is East Africa. The history of its discovery can be called romantic and noble: back in 1892, one of the governors of the state, Adalbert von Saint-Pol, was walking with his bride at the foot of the Usambara Mountains, and noticed unfamiliar purple flowers between the stones. The young couple liked them, and the seeds of the future were sent to the governor's father, a collector and flower grower, and then registered and named after the discoverer.
In Europe, the beauty of this flower was quickly appreciated, and after it was first presented at the international flower exhibition in Belgium, the violet instantly scattered across different countries. At the beginning of the next century, the seeds of this plant came to America, where they also gained popularity. Moreover, the inhabitants of the United States liked the new species so much that in one of the states a society of flower growers was organized, who were engaged in breeding a beautiful flower. Maybe because of this, today only in America several thousand species of this plant are officially registered.

To date, there are about 8 thousand species of flower in the world, and breeders continue to bring out new saintpaulias, delighting their fans.

At first, in mass breeding, the inflorescences had shades close to natural - lilac, purple, blue. But later, breeders managed to bring out the reddish-purple color of the houseplant, and then the fluffy double flowers. Later came pink, white, ruffled and edged inflorescences, yellowish flowers, and flowers with variegated foliage.

Violet came to us only in the middle of the last century, and it was the simplest variety, with small purple flowers, since there was nowhere to take varieties of imported origin. But domestic experts were happy to start breeding Saintpaulia, and very soon the first society of violet lovers was created in Moscow.

Where does it grow

Each grower has his own ideal recipe for the composition of the soil for the growth of this amazing flower. Under natural conditions, Saintpaulia can be found on the slopes of the Uzamba Mountains. This plant loves when the composition of the soil is well moistened, and therefore prefers places near streams, rivers and waterfalls. Different species can be found in different places in Tanzania, unfortunately, you will not meet Saintpaulia in the domestic expanses "in the wild".

For good growth and development of Saintpaulia, it is necessary that the composition of the soil be loose and air can circulate freely, allowing the roots to breathe. The composition of the soil is soddy land, leaf humus, sand and moss. The land from coniferous forests is also well absorbed, with a small proportion of leafy land. Of course, in order to achieve the ideal composition, you will have to experiment a little, but the final result is definitely worth it. Decorating your home with delicate violet inflorescences is a great solution for any interior.

Video "Reproduction of Saintpaulia"

On the recording, a well-known collector of Gesnerievs, Olga Artyomova, talks about how she propagates Saintpaulias at home.

Where is the birthplace of ficus?

Where did ficuses come from

In what forms can they grow

Video "About growing ficuses"

The origin of individual varieties of ficuses

Dwarf or pimula - an ampelous plant in the form of a creeping and climbing liana with thin and long
other shoots about 5 meters in size. Found in China and Japan. By nature, it has small heart-shaped leaves up to 3 cm long. It covers the ground with a beautiful carpet and gives roots. The size of the leaves of adult crops reaches 10 cm. Variegated species are also found among dwarf varieties.

The countries of origin of the creeping variety are the tropical regions of America, Asia and Africa. Such a shrub is a creeping miniature species with rounded leaves. It has adventitious roots, perfectly climbs up the bark of trees.

Video "Reproduction of ficus. All ways"

To properly grow any variety of ficus, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the video clip below. It contains useful tips and advice on growing.

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The flora of the Earth is unusually diverse, awe-inspiring with fabulous beauty, surprising with the number of species, names, shape, color.

Among this splendor and abundance of plants, ficus stands out, the types and names of which make up about a thousand different names. Let's take a closer look at this many-sided plant, find out its properties and the possibilities of using it to decorate various interiors.

History and interesting facts from the life of ficuses

All ficuses, regardless of species, are heat-loving plants and are predominantly distributed in the Mediterranean countries, on the islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the countries of West Africa, and Latin America. Some varieties of ficuses can be found in the Crimea, Central Asia, and the countries of the Caucasus.

Ficus is a very interesting and ancient plant. Until our time, the tombs of the mummies of Ancient Egypt, made of African ficus, have been preserved. And who does not know the fig or fig tree, it is also a fig tree, which has the status of a sacred tree of Muslims.

Ficus belongs to the mulberry family and has up to 800 species. This common plant has acquired a wide variety of life forms over its thousands of years of existence: from giant trees to very small dwarf plants.

And it has always been called the "rubber tree". It is explained simply. The milk secreted from the stem and leaves of the ficus is 15 percent rubber. That is why ficus is used in industry.

The fruits of some types of ficuses, for example, figs contain about 75% sugars and have long been used by humans as a treat. In the natural habitat, the fruits of other varieties of ficuses are the main part of the food for the inhabitants of the forests.

In African countries, Mexico, rural residents use ficus leaves in the construction of housing for roofing houses.

If we talk about domestic ficus, then everyone has known this common plant since childhood, which has a strong trunk, large juicy green leaves. In the past, ficus adorned the window sills of almost every house, personifying order, stability, peace, and the right way of life. And even, at one time, was synonymous with philistinism.

In recent years, the ficus has begun to experience a huge surge of interest in it from flower growers again, thanks to its extraordinary diversity, beauty, and unpretentiousness. This plant has become one of the main elements of decor, especially country houses, where it became possible to provide this handsome man with sufficient space and the necessary lighting.

At home, the plant brings a lot of benefits, purifying the air in the room, creating comfort. And this versatile plant has a lot of other useful properties, sometimes unexpected and extremely interesting.

So, let's take a closer look at ficuses.

The origin of the Bengal ficus brings us to the shores of Sri Lanka, to India, Bangladesh. This is one of the representatives of the world of mulberries, absolutely fantastic, from the point of view of an inhabitant of the northern hemisphere of the Earth, ficus banyan. Banyan is a unique life form of this plant. This amazing tree resembles a fairy-tale giant and, rather, looks like a dense forest, consisting of many trunks.

How does this process take place?

The tree trunk is formed by shoots from which aerial roots are born. The roots at first have a small thickness, developing, they begin to reach the ground, take root, and then they develop rapidly and increase in diameter up to several meters. New trunks give new shoots, and this process does not stop, repeating again and again. Over time, one tree gradually turns into a real fairy-tale forest, covering an area of several hectares.

The most impressive tree of the family is the Great Banyan of the Indian Botanical Garden, with about three thousand trunks.

In the interior of a city apartment, this tree will look much more modest, but if you decide to keep such a ficus in your home walls, it needs to create a number of conditions. And, if you are not embarrassed by the size of the Bengal ficus, and it can grow up to three meters high, then, following all the rules of care, you can relax under the crown of a wonderful tree and enjoy the fresh air.

It can be quite a miniature bonsai.

Ficus lyre

This tropical beautiful plant that grows in India, West Africa in nature reaches a height of 30 m. It got its name because of the bizarre shape of patterned leaves resembling a lyre - an ancient musical instrument.

Feels great at home, growing up to two meters. Of course, if you have enough space with good lighting. And subject to maintaining high humidity and temperature, you have every chance to grow a tall, elegant handsome man.

But we must remember that the lyre-shaped ficus prefers loneliness. Therefore, it will be uncomfortable to feel in the vicinity of other plants. This type of ficus requires constant spraying, wiping the leaves with a damp cloth, and a shower. Sometimes you have to use a humidifier.

In a word, this type of ficus is a difficult specimen and requires increased attention and care rules.

dwarf ficuses

Among giant ficuses, which have impressive size and height, tiny ficuses, which have a different name - pumila, attract attention.

These ornamental plants, originally from China, Taiwan, Japan, are evergreen creeping vines. They have small beautiful leaves of a dark green hue, sometimes, depending on the variety, having a white border. The ficus stem gives rise to shoots that eventually form aerial roots that can cling to any support and walls.

Therefore, dwarf ficuses are often used to frame any surfaces. Houses, gazebos, entwined with a thick web of green carpet look very nice. Pumila is also planted as an additional decor in one pot with another type of ficus, and together they look great.

It is also possible to grow dwarf ficus at home, like any other type of plant, observing the necessary conditions. The plant needs abundant watering, it also likes diffused light with a small amount of direct sunlight. And it feels great at windows facing west and east.

Dwarf ficus is transplanted annually in the spring, using standard ficus soil.

The birthplace of this plant is India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia. The name of this plant speaks for itself. Rubbery large-leaved ficus contains a large percentage of rubber in the juice released from the surface of the leaves. That is why it was previously grown on an industrial scale for the production of rubber. But this juice is not easy - it causes an allergic reaction, dermatitis, getting on the skin, because it contains alkaloids and enzymes.

In nature, the rubber-bearing ficus grows up to 30-40 meters in height. Its "rubber" properties, trunk and dense roots are used by residents of southern countries, making suspension bridges out of these plants. Such a construction made of living wood is able to withstand more than a dozen people, as well as floods.

Rubber-bearing ficuses can create banyan trees in their natural habitat, turning into whole groves.

At home, rubber ficus is also bred and benefits its owners, primarily by purifying the air from harmful impurities. Also likes warmth, humid atmosphere, good lighting, but not in direct sunlight.

If you do not forget to feed the ficus, water it on time, replant young plants annually and adult ficuses every 2-3 years, then your pet will delight you with its juicy green appearance for a long time, bringing a sense of peace and order to your home.

If we talk about the country of origin of this type of ficus, then it will be Burma, Nepal, some areas of Indochina. In nature, like many of his compatriots, they are gigantic in size and grow up to 30 meters in height, I have a dense green crown with large leaves.

Sacred ficus can begin its life as an epiphytic plant, fixing itself on other trees or in the recesses of buildings. Then, like many representatives of ficuses, it begins to take aerial roots, then fixes itself in the soil and turns into a trunk, which is a support for a young plant. And with further development, it often turns into a banyan tree.

This type of ficus has a distinctive feature called "guttation". With high humidity, droplets of moisture form on the tips of the leaves of this plant, creating a weeping effect of the plant.

Buddhists consider this type of ficus a sacred plant, hence its name. According to legend, an ancient Buddhist prince reached enlightenment under this wonderful plant and became a Buddha. Since then, there has been a tradition of planting sacred ficus near temples, and pilgrims adorn the plant with enviable constancy with colorful ribbons.

It is grown at home with the same requirements for the maintenance of the entire ficus family.

This type of ficus is extremely popular among flower growers because of its decorative qualities and the simple process of growing and caring for it.

In nature, like all its relatives, it grows in the warm countries of Asia and northern Australia. It loves a humid environment and under natural conditions can grow to a solid size of 30 m high. It can form the banyan trees already familiar to us, but in countries with a drier climate it remains a single-trunked tree.

In its natural habitat, it is often used in the form of "living" hedges and to create topiary forms, when geometric haircuts are applied to plants to give them certain shapes.

It looks very attractive on the windowsills of apartments, hanging the branches a little down, for which it received the name "weeping ficus". Leaflets, depending on the variety of different sizes (from 3 to 10 cm), shape and color shades. But regardless of the variety, milky juice is released from the surface of ficus leaves, which can cause an allergic reaction.

, like no other, has a large number of varieties. They differ in size, from small plants to 4-meter heroes, the shape and color of the leaf. May be trees or shrubs.

Among all the variety, ficus varieties stand out for their special unpretentiousness:

Daniel: dark green leaves 6 cm
Golden Monique: light green-golden leaves with a unique pattern
Kerli: leaves about 5 cm with a strongly curved outline and a white border
Golden King: green leaves with a yellow stripe along the edge
Monique: corrugated leaves.

And many other varieties, each of which has its own characteristics and charm.

Ficus Benjamin is well mastered in the home interior, it is thermophilic, it requires watering only when the top layer of the earth dries. In winter, water less often, but watch the roots, preventing drying.

The types of ficus do not end there, the story can be continued for a long time, but you met the most common inhabitants of our window sills. In future publications, I will try to talk about the rules for caring for them, about possible diseases or that can settle on these majestic plants.