Species · genus Ficus · Moraceae

Chinese Banyan

Ficus microcarpa L.fil.

Also known as: Laurel Fig · Indian Laurel · Curtain Fig · Hill's Weeping Fig · Indian Laurel Fig

Growth habit

tree

Native range

Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Cambodia, Caroline Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Cocos (Keeling) Is., East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Japan, Jawa, Laccadive Is., Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Marianas, Marshall Is., Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Philippines, Queensland, Solomon Is., South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Himalaya

Reference · F. microcarpa

Cultivars of F. microcarpa

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under F. microcarpa yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Ficus microcarpa is a tropical and subtropical tree from across South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, often grown indoors as a compact specimen or bonsai. Give it a bright spot near a window with steady, indirect light, and let the top inch or two of mix dry before watering to avoid the root rot it is prone to when kept soggy. It tolerates ordinary household humidity and dislikes sudden moves or drafts, which can trigger leaf drop.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 12 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

16–30 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining potting mix with added grit or bark

Propagation

Stem cuttings or air-layering

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in spring and summer

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Fig / rubber plant — irritant latex (ficin); GI upset, dermatitis. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Chinese Banyan yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.