PlantFiles: Moreton Bay Fig
Ficus macrophylla

There is a very large moreton bay fig tree at Disney's Polynesian Resort at Disney World, or so I was told when I asked what type of banyan it was. It is well over 40 feet high and has the beautiful aerial roots that all banyans have. Beautiful!

Started "Moretys" from seed sent to me from Australia in 1987, now a specimen bonsai tree. Have reproduced countless new plants/trees from cuttings; in water or in porous moist soil. Humidity is a plus in full sun, shade in arid areas such as Arizona. Well-draining, porous soil is a must, i.e., aggregate mixture with humus. My favorite tropical!

The specific name "macrophylla" (meaning "large leaf") may sound strange, since this species doesn´t have exactly the largest leaves amongst the genus Ficus, but in Australia, where this is a native, the other Ficus species have much smaller leaves.

According to specialists, the leaves are used in Australia as cattle food, although it may change the milk flavour.

This is a great tree for Southern California large parks and gardens. It has incredibly huge roots, however, and will destroy driveways, sewage lines and walls. So plant it far away. It creates a wonderful canopy under which you can grow all sorts of tropicals that need a dappled or shady environment (many palms and ferns, for example). In S California it doesn't tend to 'banyan' as much as in humid climates, where literally hundreds of aerial trunks meet the soil creating great collections of collumns of various diameters. It is an ever-green, but does lose its huge leaves constantly, so does require some regular maintenance. You may also have to prune enormous branches now and then to keep the shade from getting too dense. If you're ever in San Diego visiting the zoo, you can't help but notice a couple of these trees near the entrance and you can see how enormous they get and how useful for canopy they are.

Stately tree for a park or estate, but way too large for your average back yard.