Ficus ingens spring leaves

The shiny young leaves of Ficus ingens have attained their mature shape here. Green colour will arrive within a week, replacing the coppery-pink or bronze-red for nearly the rest of the year. Right at the end of their life-cycle before the fall, the leaves attain a reddish coppery colour for a while again.

The trees common name, red-leaved fig, is warranted because of the short-lived colour impact that overrides the better lasting bright green. F. ingens leaves are hairless.

These leaves are toxic to livestock, but the figs are eaten by many wild animals, including monkeys, baboons and birds (Coates Palgrave, 2002; www.plantzafrica.com).