Krohn Conservatory Bonsai #10 - Willow-leaf Ficus
Scientific Name:
- Ficus microphylla
Species
- Willow-leaf Ficus
Type of Tree
Bonsai Style:
Bonsai Tree Size:
This Willow-Leaf Ficus was donated by Bonsai Society member D. Brown in 2003.
It is a mother/daughter composition in the informal upright style. The pot is rectangle, glazed, blue in color and is 4 inches deep.
Ficus salicifolia, also known as willow-leaf fig, is a tropical species of fig that ranges from the KwaZulu-Natal midlands northwards to tropical East Africa. It grows especially on outcrops, rocky hillsides and along cliffs fringing water courses and may rarely grow up to 35’ tall and acquire a leafy spreading crown. It first appeared as bonsai at a South Florida orchid nursery in the 1950s or ‘60s.
Q. What do “circa” and “in training” mean?
A. The circa date is roughly the year when the tree sprouted from its seed. The in training date is the year that it started being “trained” as a bonsai, which is to direct the growth of the tree usually by bending, pruning, and wiring its branches into a desired direction or shape.
This tree can be susceptible to scale insects and thrips. Treat with horticultural oil or malathion.