If you want to go look at some benghalensis, you should go to the zoo. They have several trees and several variations. There are also other types of ficus all over the place. The biggest one that I have seen in the valley is in the lakes neighborhood south of baseline between Rural and McKlintock. It hangs over an ally that runs along houses that are on the south side of the southern most lakes on the west side of the development. It is REALLY big. I asked a guy that lives by it about it. He thought it was a magnolia and said that rumor has it that one of the original tenants of an apartment complex on the other side of the fence planted it when the area was developed. There are quite a few unusual ficus in that neighborhood. There are also some benghalensis that Scottsdale planted near the Osborn hospital. I'm not sure, but I think that the beautiful ficus planted in front of the Vine restaurant in Tempe on Apache may be a rubiginosa (if not, perhaps a macrophylla?) I always though it was just another elastica until a got a closer look. GREAT TRUNK! Looks twisted and knarly. If anyone knows for sure what type of ficus that tree is, please divulge the information. PenBuilder

Gardening Australia - Fact Sheet: Fig Trees 7/31/2017 Gardening Australia - Fact Sheet: Fig Trees http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s3012335.htm 1/2 Fact Sheet: Fig Trees Clarence Slockee profiles fig trees in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens Presenter: Clarence Slockee, 18/09/2010 SERIES 21 Episode 30 Worldwide, there are 750 species of Ficus and about 45 native species in Australia. Figs are unique in that the flower is enclosed inside the fruit. If you break a fig open you will notice hundreds of florets. These tiny flowers need to be pollinated and figs have developed a unique relationship with particular species of wasps. Figs are only pollinated by fig wasps and they, in turn, can only reproduce inside fig flowers. For most species of fig there is only one species of wasp that will pollinate it. When the female wasp has been impregnated by the male she flies off to another fig tree, carrying pollen from the original fruit. An interesting adaptation of fig trees is the aerial roots. Fig trees often grow in nutritionally-depleted soil, or begin their life by germinating in rocky crevices. Aerial roots grow down from branches and take up nutrients and moisture from the air. Eventually the roots grow into the ground. They thicken up and become what is commonly called 'buttress' roots. These strong aerial roots support the branches. Clarence says, "They make for some amazing structures and shapes." Some species of fig trees can grow so large it can appear as though one tree is many. The Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla) - native to parts of Australia and Lord Howe Island, is one such species and Clarence says, "There was an old tree on Lord Howe Island that covered an area of over one hectare." The seeds of most fig trees need to find a host where they can germinate. Sometimes this is in a rocky crevice or wall, and sometimes it's on another tree. Clarence finds a strangler fig that has germinated about half-way up a melaleuca tree. The strangler fig is taking over the melaleuca which will eventually die. An endemic Sydney species is the Port Jackson Fig (Ficus rubiginosa). It takes its name from the old European name for Sydney Harbour. Clarence says, "The old Aboriginal name, Birra Birra, is a little bit different. The fruit is ruby red. It's not bad, if you want to eat it, but it's not my favourite!" Clarence's favourite fig is Ficus coronata - the Sandpaper Fig - which takes its name from the leaves that are rough and can be used as sandpaper. Clarence is more interested in the fruit. "It's my favourite tasting native fig. 7/31/2017 Gardening Australia - Fact Sheet: Fig Trees http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s3012335.htm 2/2 All native figs are edible but this is the most palatable, very sweet. "Native figs are majestic trees and some of them will get quite big. If you've only got a little bit of space at home, maybe you want to try a bonsai ficus!" Information contained in this fact sheet is a summary of material included in the program. If further information is required, please contact your local nursery or garden centre. Copyright Restrictions: This fact sheet is for private and domestic information purposes only. It may not be copied, reproduced, sold or used for any other purpose without the express permission of the ABC.

No personal experience with them but the search does pull up a number of previous discussions about growing them you might want to browse through. Some of them are from the Trees forum and others from this and the Tropicals forum Growing banyan discussions Dave

Hi, looking for a ficus benghalensis for indoor decor. I'm having trouble locating any in Southern California. Willing to trade if anyone has one and is interested. Have pothos, baby rubber, and monstera plants as well as some orange and lemon plants. :)