Short-leaf fig, Wild banyan tree – Ficus citrifolia

General Landscape Uses: Specimen tree in residential and commercial landscapes. Ecological Restoration Notes: An important large canopy tree in hammocks in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Rarer elsewhere. Description: Medium to large tree with an erect trunk and a spreading, rounded crown. Trunks single or, rarely, multiple to more than 2 feet in diameter. Branches drooping. Bark light gray. Leaves tropical semi-deciduous, light green, about 2-5 inches long. Dimensions: Typically 30-40 feet in height; to 71 feet in South Florida. Usually taller than broad. Growth Rate: Moderate to fast. Native Range: Monroe County Keys north to Brevard and Collier counties; disjunct in Hillsborough County; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare and sporadic north of Miami-Dade and Collier counties. Native Habitats: Hammocks. Soils: Moist, well-drained limestone (rarely sandy) soils, with humusy top layer. Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established. Light Requirements: Full sun. Flower Color: N/A; flowers are borne inside of figs. Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous. Flowering Season: All year; peak spring-summer. Fruit: Figs turning pinkish-red to purple when ripe. Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food and cover for wildlife. Larval host plant for ruddy daggerwing (Marpesia petreus) butterflies, Edwards’ wasp (Lymire edwardsii) and fig sphinx (Pachylia ficus) moths. It is pollinated by a host-specific wasp (Pegoscapus tonduzi). Cedar waxwings and many other birds eat the fruits. It supports a large community of insects, which provide food for insectivorous birds. Horticultural Notes: Easily grown from seed. Smash figs on paper, let dry and then brush the small seeds onto the soil in a container. Do not cover seeds with soil. Start in light shade or full sun. Comments: Sometimes produces aerial roots, but much less frequently than strangler fig (Ficus aurea).