Fig. 29.-Ficus elastica, the Indian rubber-tree.


Trees are subject to attack by fungus disease and many types of
scale, but these do not limit their use.
 Among Ficus species, there is a wide variation in size, shape
and texture of leaves. Fruits also vary widely and are typical figs
ranging from pea size to the size of cultivated figs, and in color from
yellow to purplish to bright red. Fruits of most species are not edible.
 The Benjamin fig or weeping laurel, Ficus benjamin, is native
to India. Trees are large, up to 50 feet high and wide, with drooping
branches and small, shining, simple, oval to elliptic leaves (Fig. 28).
Benjamin fig does not form aerial roots readily and is easily kept to
medium height by pruning. Older trees are especially attractive when
branches are covered with red fruit or "figs". This tree is well adapted
to street or park plantings and as a large framing tree.
 The India rubber-tree, Ficus elastica, native to India and Malaya,
is a large vigorous growing, heavily buttressed tree that grows to
100 feet tall (Fig 29). Leaves are glossy, smooth, leathery, oblong
or elliptic and 5 to 12 inches long. Fruit is yellowish and up to 1-inch
long. This tree is the "rubber plant" commonly grown indoors as a
house plant. Owing to its immense size and habit of forming many
"trunks" from aerial roots, it is not suited to street planting or small
lawn areas. There are many varieties including variegata with yel-
lowish or creamy white irregularly colored leaf margins, Doescheri
with yellow marbled leaves and Decora with broad reddish leaves
which are highly-colored when young.
 Fiddle-leaf-fig, Ficus lyrata, native to tropical Africa, derives its
common name from the large 10- to 15-inch, leathery, deep green,
fiddle-shaped leaves. Trees grow to 40 feet in height, usually with a