Ficus pumila     
Creeping fig   
Moraceae Family     

Form: self-climbing vine with clinging rootlets; fine textured foliage when young
Seasonality: evergreen
Size: climbs 15-20ft up vertical walls (or higher)
Leaves: simple, heart-shaped, small when young; changes to larger, 2-4in long, oblong and leathery form when mature
Flowers: not significant, rare
Fruit: rarely seen; droopy small fig-like fruit, plum-sized; not edible
Stems/Trunks: delicate, clinging, more woody with age; will climb all surfaces
Range/Origin: Asia

juvenile form (above) and mature leaf form (below) of Ficus pumila

Hardiness: to mid teens

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• great in shady locations
• wall covering (north walls)

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: part or full shade, morning sun okay
• Water: requires supplemental, 1-2 times per week in hot season
• Soil: amended soil
• Propagation: vegetative cuttings
• Maintenance: low; can be a nuisance to control if it overruns allotted space; can be difficult to remove from walls; cutting back will rejuvenate juvenile leaf form

NOTES:

rapid grower when young, slower after mature leaf form appears

vines can be tenacious, climbing aggressively, beware of top-heavy plants peeling away from support, "takes the paint off walls", recommend setting out transplants horizontally (lay vines along ground) so it will grow with a wide, solid base.

'Minima' retains small leaf form longer

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This page was first created July 6, 2001 and last modified April 18, 2005.

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Web page design and photographs by Toni Moore, Master Gardener
email to: tmoore1@flash.net

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