Banana leaf fig is an evergreen tree in the Moraceae (fig) family native to India, Southeast Asia and China. It is commonly grown as a houseplant in temperate climates. The most popular one found for sale is the cultivar 'Alii' which is sometimes sold with a braided trunk. In their native habitat, they grow quite large and produce small figs. As a house plant, they may reach 6- 10 feet tall. They can be pruned to control size if needed. These plants do best with bright indirect lighting. Plant in a potting mixture with good drainage and water the plant once the top 1-2 inches of the soil has dried out as they don't like soggy soils. They only need to be fertilized twice yearly. The stems contain latex which can cause contact dermatitis for some people so handle carefully when pruning. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: whitefly, scale, and ficus mealybug can be a problem. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Ficus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Irregular
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The stalked leathery leaves are spirally arranged and are oblong to oval to lance-shaped or slightly ovate and 3-10 by 1.5-3.5 inches.
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower detail
The tiny flowers develop within the fig.
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The small fruits develop in pairs at the leaf axils. They are yellow to red, with a flat or swollen opening at the bottom of the fruit when mature. It is best to remove the fruits when they appear
Bark color
Light Brown
Bark detail
Smooth light brown bark
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China, Malaysia
Wildlife value
In its native habitat, the fig wasp pollinates the flower inside the fruit. Birds and mammals will eat the fruits