Malagasy Rock Fig - Ficus menabeensis

[Tracy]

I recently acquired a 1 gallon Ficus menabeensis, aka Malagasy Rock Fig, and am wondering if anyone else has any experience growing these.  I haven't decided whether to put it in the ground or grow it as a potted or even bonsai type plant.  In the closeup photo, you can see that even at this size it has tiny little "figs".  Yes, that appears to be full size for the figs, as there were some small shriveled up hard ones that had dropped off it and were sitting on top of the soil in the pot.

[Tracy]

On 9/1/2020 at 9:28 PM, Tracy said:

I haven't decided whether to put it in the ground or grow it as a potted or even bonsai type plant.

Even in it's little one gallon pot it was growing so I decided to pot it up for now.  I also transitioned it into progressively sunnier spots to acclimate it.  Now it's in a spot with full sun from about 10:30am until the sun hides behind my house to the west.

[epiphyte]

Such a neat little Ficus!  I wonder if the seeds are viable?  I'm guessing that the necessary wasp isn't here.  The LA Arboretum put one in the ground a few years back and it seems to be doing fine.  I think this would be a fun one to try and grow epiphytically.  

[Reyes Vargas]

6 minutes ago, epiphyte said:

Such a neat little Ficus!  I wonder if the seeds are viable?  I'm guessing that the necessary wasp isn't here.  The LA Arboretum put one in the ground a few years back and it seems to be doing fine.  I think this would be a fun one to try and grow epiphytically.  

That's what people said about ficus religiosa, that they need a special wasp for the seeds to be viable.  Down here in deep South Texas they grow anywhere the birds deposit the seeds.  I've also collected some seeds that I found in bird poop planted them and they germinated. Either that special wasp thing is not true or mother nature finds a way.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, Reyes Vargas said:

That's what people said about ficus religiosa, that they need a special wasp for the seeds to be viable.  Down here in deep South Texas they grow anywhere the birds deposit the seeds.  I've also collected some seeds that I found in bird poop planted them and they germinated. Either that special wasp thing is not true or mother nature finds a way.

Depends on the Ficus.. Could be the wasp that is capable of pollinating these found it's way to far S. Texas, or F. religiosa is pollinated by one that is more of a generalist that is native to that area.

We're only a couple hundred miles ( possibly less ) from where Ficus petiolaris ( and F. petiolaris vars. palmeri/ brandegeei ) grow in Sonora/ Baja  yet fruit produced on large trees here and in Tucson don't get fertilized -as far as i'm aware-  Same w/ several other Ficus sp. from the same area, though many of those regionally native sp. aren't grown here much -yet-.

[mnorell]

Since you're into the obscure species of Ficus, I'm sure you are very acquainted with the Figweb website, but will put the link here for anyone else who is curious. It's a great site but I wish they would do the neotropical and Asiatic species as well. I didn't realize from your photos how tiny this Madagascan species is at adulthood, until I saw their picture of it growing like a lithophyte. Would probably make a good bonsai. Ficus menabeensis at Figweb

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, mnorell said:

I didn't realize from your photos how tiny this Madagascan species is at adulthood, until I saw their picture of it growing like a lithophyte. Would probably make a good bonsai.

The owner of the nursery where I found it is into bonsai and had this with some other bonsai plants.  Last time I was there he had some bonsai F. petiolaris, F. palmeri and F. religiosa he was selling as well.  I'm going for a look somewhere in between, not really bonsai, but not in the ground at this time with my F menabeensis..

[Tracy]

It's fig season.  I'm glad I'm not depending on these as a major source of nutrients, as the figs on this species don't get very big.  My F carica is also starting to produce some little figs, but they at least will get a bit bigger before ripening.