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Ficus benjamina
Ficus benjamina, commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig[2] or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus,
Ficus benjamina
is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia.[3] It is the official tree of Bangkok. The
species is also naturalized in the West Indies and in the States of Florida and Arizona in the United States.[4][5]

Ficus benjamina is a tree reaching 30 metres (98 ft) tall in natural conditions, with gracefully drooping branchlets and glossy
leaves 6–13 cm (2–5 in), oval with an acuminate tip. In its native range, its small fruit are favored by some birds, such as the
superb fruit dove, wompoo fruit dove, pink-spotted fruit dove, ornate fruit dove, orange-bellied fruit dove, Torresian imperial
pigeon, purple-tailed imperial pigeon (Frith et al. 1976).

Contents
Cultivation
Destructive roots
Allergic reactions
Gallery
References Scientific classification
Bibliography
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
Cultivation (unranked): Eudicots
In tropical latitudes, the weeping fig makes a very large and stately tree for parks and other urban situations, such as wide (unranked): Rosids
roads. It is often cultivated for this purpose.
Order: Rosales
Ficus benjamina is a very popular houseplant in temperate areas, due to its elegant growth and tolerance of poor growing Family: Moraceae
conditions; it does best in bright, sunny conditions but will also tolerate considerable shade. It requires a moderate amount of
Tribe: Ficeae
watering in summer, and only enough to keep it from drying out in the winter. It does not need to be misted. The plant is

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sensitive to cold and should be protected from strong drafts. When grown indoors, it can grow too large for its situation, and Genus: Ficus
may need drastic pruning or replacing. Ficus benjamina has been shown to effectively remove gaseous formaldehyde from
Subgenus: Conosycea
indoor air.[6]
Species: F. benjamina
The fruit is edible, but the plant is not usually grown for its fruit. The leaves are very sensitive to small changes in light. When
it is turned around or re-located it reacts by dropping many of its leaves and replacing them with new leaves adapted to the
Binomial name
new light intensity. Ficus benjamina
L. 1767[1]
There are numerous cultivars available (e.g. 'Danielle', 'Naomi', 'Exotica', and 'Golden King'). Some cultivars include different
patterns of colouration on the leaves, ranging from light green to dark green, and various forms of white variegation. Synonyms[1]
Synonymy
In cultivation in the UK, this plant[7] and the variegated cultivar 'Starlight'[8] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's
Award of Garden Merit.[9]

The miniature cultivars, especially 'Too Little', are among the most popular plants for indoor bonsai.

Destructive roots
The United States Forest Service states "Roots grow rapidly, invading gardens, growing under and lifting sidewalks, patios, and
driveways." They conclude that its use in tree form is much too large for residential planting, therefore in these settings this
species should only be used as a hedge or clipped screen.[10]

Allergic reactions
The plant is a major source of indoor allergens, ranking as the third most common cause of indoor allergies after dust and
pets.[11] Common allergy symptoms include rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma. Ficus plants can be of particular concern to
latex allergy sufferers due to the latex in the ficus plant, and should not be kept in the environment of latex allergy sufferers.[11]
In extreme cases, ficus sap exposure can cause anaphylactic shock in latex allergy sufferers.

Allergy to ficus plants develops over time and from exposure. The allergy was first observed in occupational settings amongst
Used as decorative plant in gardens
workers who regularly handled the plants. A study of workers at four plant-leasing firms showed that 27% of the workers had
in Hyderabad, India
developed antibodies in response to exposure to the plants.[12]

Gallery

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Tree in Hyderabad, India Fig in Hyderabad, India Leaves in Hyderabad, Trunk in Hyderabad, Leaves Tree in Hawaii
India India

Tree in Tenerife Fruit

References
4. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map (http://bonap.net
1. "Ficus benjamina L." (http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2809661).
/MapGallery/County/Ficus%20benjamina.png)
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew. Retrieved 2015-07-19 – via The Plant List. 5. Flora of North America, Ficus benjamina Linnaeus, Mant. Pl. 129. 1767.
Weeping fig (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&
2. "Ficus benjamina" (https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal
taxon_id=200006350)
/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=16785). Germplasm Resources Information Network
(GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of 6. Kwang Jin Kim, Mi Jung Kil, Jeong Seob Song, Eun Ha Yoo, Ki-Cheol Son,
Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2009-02-17. Stanley J. Kays (July 2008). "Efficiency of Volatile Formaldehyde Removal by
Indoor Plants: Contribution of Aerial Plant Parts versus the Root Zone". Journal
3. Flora of China, Ficus benjamina Linnaeus, 垂叶榕 chui ye
of The American Society for Horticultural Science. 133 (4): 521–526.
(http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200006350)
ISSN 0003-1062 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0003-1062).

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Ficus benjamina - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_benjamina

7. "Ficus benjamina" (http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=794).
Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
8. "Ficus benjamina 'Starlight' (v) Benjamin fig" (http://apps.rhs.org.uk
/plantselector/plant?plantid=2938). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved
December 9, 2014.
9. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-
ornamentals.pdf) (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 39. Retrieved
27 February 2018.
10. Gilman, Edward F.; Watson, Dennis G. (November 1993). "Ficus benjamina
Weeping Fig" (http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets
/ficbena.pdf) (PDF). Fact Sheet ST-251. United States Forest Service.
Retrieved December 6, 2014.
11. Schenkelberger V, Freitag M, Altmeyer P. "Ficus benjamina--the hidden allergen
in the house". Hautarzt. 49 (1): 2–5. doi:10.1007/s001050050692
(https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs001050050692). PMID 9522185
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9522185).
12. http://www.phadia.com/en/Products/Allergy-testing-products/ImmunoCAP-
Allergen-Information/Occupational-Allergens/Allergens/Ficus-spp-/
(http://www.phadia.com/en/Products/Allergy-testing-products/ImmunoCAP-
Allergen-Information/Occupational-Allergens/Allergens/Ficus-spp-/). Missing or
empty |title= (help)

Bibliography
Frith, H.J.; Rome, F.H.J.C. & Wolfe, T.O. (1976): Food of fruit-pigeons in New Guinea. Emu 76(2): 49-58. HTML abstract (http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/96/paper
/MU9760049.htm)
Weeping fig (plant) (https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/60954) at Encyclopædia Britannica

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