Ficus maxima
Large tropical Moraceae fig tree native from Mexico to Paraguay with small 1–2 cm fruits, an obligate mutualism with a specific fig wasp, and leaves and fruits that feed wildlife and are used in traditional medicine
Common Names
White Fig, Big Fig
Summary
A tropical fig tree native from Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to southern South America (Paraguay) grows 5–30 m tall with a single trunk and variable leaves 6–24 cm long and 2.5–12 cm wide, from long narrow to oval with blunt tips; small figs 1–2 cm in diameter appear; monoecious with functional male and female flowers; obligate mutualism with fig wasps pollinated by Tetrapus americanus; milky latex exudes when injured; fruits eaten by birds and mammals.
In cultivation, it inhabits tropical deciduous to evergreen forests and aquatic or subaquatic habitats, often along streams, at elevations 0–2100 m; propagation by seed; outdoors in USDA zones 10a–12b; requires bright direct light, well-draining soil, and soil moisture that dries between waterings; may go dormant in winter; bark fibers for mats and cloth, latex used medicinally, latex also used to bind lime soils for cement; fruits provide animal food; conservation status Least Concern; antimicrobial activity reported in leaf extracts; methoxyflavones isolated from leaves.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
16-100 feet
Spread
Unknown
Hardiness Zones
Zones 10a–12b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Well-draining soil; rich in organic matter (coco coir) with perlite or vermiculite.
Soil Drainage
Moist, well-draining soil with organic matter (coco coir) and drainage enhancers (perlite or vermiculite).
Fall Foliage Color
Yellow
Growth Rate
Doubling in size
Seasons of Interest
Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds, other pollinators: Tetrapus americanus (fig wasp)
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Mill.
- Publication
- Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 6 (1768)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Rosales
- Family
- Moraceae
- Genus
- Ficus
Synonyms
Urostigma protensum Pharmacosycea hernandezii Pharmacosycea grandaeva Pharmacosycea glaucescens Pharmacosycea guyanensis Pharmacosycea pseudoradula Pharmacosycea rigida Ficus anthelminthica Ficus bopiana Ficus chaconiana Ficus coybana Ficus glaucescens Ficus grandaeva Ficus guadalajarana Ficus hernandezii Ficus murilloi Ficus parkeri Ficus picardae Ficus plumeri Ficus protensa Ficus pseudoradula Ficus radula Ficus rubricosta Ficus subscabrida Ficus suffocans Ficus ulei Ficus vicencionis Ficus populnea f. citrifolia Pharmacosycea radula Pharmacosycea radula Ficus citrifolia Ficus murilloi var. cajambrensis