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Krohn Conservatory Bonsai #18 - Taiwan Fig

Scientific Name:

  • Ficus retusa

Species

  • Taiwan Fig

This Taiwan Fig was donated by Bonsai Society member Dr. Douglas Hawley in 1999. 

It is an informal upright style.  The pot is rectangular, unglazed, brown in color and is 5 inches deep.

This tree is a species of evergreen woody plant in the fig genus, native to the Malay Archipelago and Malesia floristic region. Ficus retusa is a rapidly growing, rounded, broad-headed, evergreen shrub or tree that can reach 33 feet in height with an equal spread. The smooth, light grey trunk is quite striking, can grow to around 3 feet in diameter, and it firmly supports the massively spreading canopy.

In Southeast Asia, this tree is thought to be home to spirits. In China, large fig trees can be associated with beneficial spirits and vital energy. In Singapore, some trees are associated with places of worship among Buddhists and Taoists

Germination Year
1985 (Age: 39 years)
In Training Since
1993 (31 years)
Acquired in
1999
Insect Control

It can be susceptible to scale insects, and thrips.  Treat with horticultural oil or malathion.