Ficus species

[Walt]

About two weeks ago I was tearing off the lean-to roof along my storage shed (that I used to park lawn tractors under). The roof was covered with leaves several inches deep. When the roof collapsed, lo and behold a ficus tree sapling had been growing on it, rooted into the leaves. I carefully potted it up. For about a week I saw no noticeable growth, then one leaf started to form (smallest leaf in below photo), and now another is emerging (at base of smallest leaf).  I have no idea what species of ficus this is. I'm growing about 15 species of ficus and none of them look like this one. I have a small (4 feet overall) Ficus benghalensis (from the the big benghalensis at the Thomas Edison Estate) and the leaves look similar in size but much lighter green. The leaves also don't match the leaves on my big Ficus altissima 'variegata'. In any event, I plan on pot growing my new found ficus for a couple of months to get it good and rooted in the pot, then I will plant it in the ground. I also have a Ficus aurea (Florida strangler fig) and the leaves on it are much smaller.   I like most any species of ficus, and if I never find out what species this one is, that's okay. I look forward to watching it grow and see how it develops. I'm wondering if it could be Ficus citrifolia.

[The Silent Seed]

Looks like my Ficus benghalensis. 

[Walt]

On 6/11/2021 at 10:31 AM, The Silent Seed said:

Looks like my Ficus benghalensis. 

The leaves of my F. bengalensis (sapling grown from the famous Thomas Edison tree) has lighter color leaves.

[Reyes Vargas]

37 minutes ago, Walt said:

The leaves of my F. bengalensis (sapling grown from the famous Thomas Edison tree) has lighter color leaves.

This is my F. bengalensis.  It has dark green leaves.

Edited June 12, 2021 by Reyes Vargas

[Walt]

My unknown ficus keeps on growing.

[Walt]

Since I first posted I've started four more unknown ficus species I found growing in various palms. I still know of one more ficus seedling growing up in a queen palm. I plan to just let that one stay and do it's thing. 

The ficus on the right in my photo is growing very fast (much faster than the other three) to where it was falling over, so I had to tie it to my trailer ramp. I plan on planting it soon, and I will stake it up when I do. In fact, this ficus is growing even faster than the first one I discovered and planted in the ground last year.

[Walt]

The largest of my unknown ficus species continues to grow and grow.  No doubt it likes the 50-50% cow manure and top soil mix, along with the Osmocote Plus fertilizer it's growing in.  I've got to get this thing in the ground.

[Manalto]

Manure is magical stuff. Years ago I was in Puerto Rico. and stayed at a dinky hotel in Condado that was little more than a cinder-block dormitory. It was sufficient for me because I only needed it as a place to sleep. As it turned out, I spent a fair amount of time hanging out on the shady, walled-in patio, especially at the beginning and end of the day. It was a mini tropical paradise with palms, heliconias, breadfruit, ylang-ylang, and so on. Birds were always singing during the day with a raucous chorus of coqui at night. None of the "fine" hotels nearby had anything half as wonderful. The hotel owner told me that, when he bought the place, he dumped eleven truckloads of manure on the (tiny) grounds. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed staying there that week.

Edited June 19, 2022 by Manalto