Ficus auriculata (Roxburgh Fig, Elephant Ear Fig)
Botanical Information
| Family | Moraceae |
| Genus | Ficus |
| Species | auriculata |
| Synonyms | Ficus oligodon, Ficus roxburghii |
| Category | Perennials, Tropicals |
| Type | Tree (evergreen), Shrub (evergreen) |
| Origin | East Asia to southern China, and including Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses Disclaimer | In Meghalaya, fruits are eaten raw, and leaves are lopped for highly palatable fodder. |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 9b - 11 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H1c - H3 |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | -5 - 10 |
| Temperature (°F) | 23 - 50 |
| Height | 6 - 12 m |
| Spread | 3.6 - 6 m |
| Growth | Fast |
| Flowering Period | April, May |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | Evergreen tree that produces large figs. |
| ID Characteristic | Very large leaves, reminiscent of an elephant’s ears, grows edible fruit known as figs. |
| Landscape | May be planted to help control erosion. |
| Propagation | By cuttings and air layering. |
| Cultivation | Best grown in sun to partial shade with consistently moist, well-drained soil. Do not let the soil dry out between waterings. |
| Notable Specimens | Centennial Conservatory, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. |
| Habitat | Terrestrial, along the banks of rivers and streams. |
| Leaf Description | Alternate, heart-shaped to broadly wedge-shaped, with an irregularly toothed margin. Very large, growing up to 50 cm in length. |
| Fruit Description | Figs are clustered on short branchlets of old stems, pear-shaped to spherical, with 4-6 longitudinal ridges and small tubercles. They are large for figs, 2 - 3.5 cm in diameter, covered with soft hairs. Figs are edible and sweet. |
| Colour Description | Young leaves are burgundy, red, or orange, and mature to green. Bark is grey. Flowers are pink. Figs are dark red when mature. |
| Texture Description | Bark is smooth. Leaves are papery. |
Photographs
Ficus auriculata, form.
Ficus auriculata, leaf.
Ficus auriculata, fruit.
Ficus auriculata, leaf (2).