Ficus sycomorus young tree planted in Gauteng

This young Ficus sycomorus tree has made it through several winters in northern Gauteng. Purchased at the nursery at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, it suffered a bit from frost in winter and still does, but grows vigorously from spring every year, quickly overcoming any damage. Boosted by the benefits of its positioning close to a French drain that it will surely one day put out of commission, life out of habitat isn’t that bad at all.

F. sycomorus is semi-deciduous. Its large leaves are mainly spirally arranged, sometimes approaching alternate positioning. Leaf shape is ovate or elliptic to nearly round with a broadly tapering to rounded apex and a rounded to lobed base. The leaf margins are entire or toothed, often wavy. Leaf size is 5 cm to 17 cm by 3.5 cm to 15 cm. Leaf surfaces are dark green and rough or smooth, three-veined from the base with five to eight veins on either side of the midrib.

The leaf petiole is 2 cm to 3,5 cm long with oblong and hairy stipules that drop off early. The young leaves are edible, sometimes cooked as a relish (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Schmidt, et al, 2002).