Practical
Plants

Ficus palmata

Wild Fig

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Ficus genus in the family Moraceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Moraceae
Genus
Ficus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
9 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The sap and the half-ripe fruits are said to be poisonous.

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw. Sweet and succulent[2]. A very tasty fruit[1], it is often dried for later use. The fruit is about 2.5cm in diameter and annual yields from wild trees is about 25kg[1]. The fruit contains about 6% sugars, 1.7% protein, 0.9% ash and 0.2% pectin[1]. Low in vitamin C, about 3.3mg per 100g[1]. The unripe fruits and young growth are cooked and eaten as a vegetable[4]. They are boiled, the water is removed by squeezing and they are then fried. a nice green vegetable[1]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The fruit is demulcent, emollient, laxative and poultice[1][3]. It is used as a part of the diet in the treatment of constipation and diseases of the lungs and bladder[3]. The sap is used in the treatment of warts. The latex of the plant is used to take out spines lodged deeply in the flesh[4].

Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Emollient
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Warts

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The pliable wood is of little value but has been used for making hoops, garlands, ornaments etc.

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat
Occasionally found in forests, more commonly around villages, in waste ground, fields etc[1]. Open places, generally along the banks of streams at elevations of 600 - 2700 metres in Nepal[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and overwinter the young plants in a greenhouse for at least their first year. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts and give some protection for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of mature wood 10 - 12cm with a heel, winter in a frame. Fairly easy, but the cuttings must be kept frost free. It is probably best if the cuttings are put in individual pots[5]. Layering.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a well-drained medium to light loam and some lime rubble incorporated into the soil. A heavy wet soil tends to encourage excessive plant growth at the expense of fruit. Not very hardy in Britain it is best on a south or south-west facing wall in order to provide winter protection and more heat in the summer for ripening the fruit. It would probably succeed in a sheltered position in the open in the milder areas of Britain. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. This species is closely related to the common fig, Ficus carica, and is not perhaps specifically distinct. It has been recommended for growing in areas where the climate is too wet for common figs since it fruits during the monsoon season in the Himalayas. However, it probably requires the fig-wasp in order to pollinate the flowers and so is unlikely to fruit in areas such as Britain that are too cold for the fig-wasp to survive. The fruits are often sold in local markets in the Himalayas[1]. There is a potential for commercial cultivation[1].

References

  1. Parmar. C. and Kaushal. M.K. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers. New Delhi. 1982-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  2. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  3. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩

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