The birthplace of ficus benjamin and the main points for caring for him in an apartment environment. Indoor ficus homeland Country of origin of the ficus flower

Ficus is one of the most common houseplants. He took root in our homes so much that we forgot about his real homeland - the subtropical and tropical forests of Asia and Africa. There are more than 2000 species in total., but only about 20 species are domestic breeds. But can they bloom?

The plant belongs to the mulberry family and often called the rubber tree. The fact is that in its composition the plant contains about 15% of the rubber substance.

Ficus rubbery

For more than five thousand years of existence ficus adapted to any environment, and has acquired many forms and types. In their natural environment, they can grow in the form of full-fledged trees, shrubs or vines wrapping around other trees.

Ficuses can grow on other representatives of the flora, forming adventitious roots and gradually merging with another plant into a single whole. Such species are called banyans.

What country is this home flower from?

Where does Ficus Benjamin come from? The plant is native to the forests of Malaysia, the Philippines., New Guinea, Indonesia. In New Guinea, for example, the largest ficuses grow - they can reach more than 40 meters in height and 4-5 meters in thickness. Such flowers have large shiny leaves, lowered down, and milky juice. It is known in Latin America, where tumor-resolving drugs are made from this juice.

In Indonesia, and especially in India, ficus is considered a sacred plant giving spirituality and enlightenment. It can often be seen in temples and places revered by the inhabitants. Tourists who managed to get to the peninsula tie ribbons on the table of this plant - it is believed that in this way cherished desires come true.

In nature, ficus can even grow from 1 to 40 meters in height, but at home it does not grow more than two meters in height. According to Eastern philosophy, they cultivate positive energy in the house, cleanse the home of negativity, help to concentrate on certain activities.

Where could the rubber ficus come from?

The most popular type of homemade ficus is the rubber species.. This plant easily adapts to the environment, has good immunity, and also has dark green oval-shaped leaves in the amount of 30-40 centimeters. It can grow up to two meters tall. A flower of this origin from the forests of Southeast Asia and West Africa.

Ficus care: the necessary soil composition, conditions for growth and flowering

Each species (deciduous or not) has its own care process, but there is a few general rules contents of this plant:

• availability of free space for growth in length or height;
• enough sunlight, which would not fall directly on the leaves and flowers of the plant;
• slight shading;
• avoidance any draft;
• finding in a warm climate or premises;
• abundant saturation with water(preferably key, rain or melted snow);
• leaf care- removing already dead, dry leaves, wiping each sheet with a damp cloth, and so on.

Young ficuses need more careful care- monitor the soil, feed them with fertilizers and water them with warm water once or even twice a day. Dwarf and so-called creeping plants also need not only abundant watering, but also the content of moist air in the room.

Ficus medium size, as a rule, are bush, reach a height of one or two meters. These grow slowly, so they need a lot of space up and careful care of the leaves.

Some ficus owners are concerned about the fact that the leaves on the plant turn yellow and fall off. This can happen both for natural reasons and for non-compliance with the necessary care regimen.

To identify the cause, carefully look at the ficus or consult a specialist.

Reproduction: how can your Benjamin bloom

Ficuses are flowering plants, but do not bloom indoors due to lack of natural pollination. Small insects pollinate the inflorescences through small holes located in the upper part of the future flower.

Female and male flowers are negligible and do not represent any aesthetic value, but are suitable only for reproduction. At home, ficus can only reproduce vegetatively.- cuttings.

Since the plant is tropical, indoor conditions and the harsh winters of our country are unusual for it and incompatible with the existence of this plant. Flowering home ficus is not the most exciting process.

In order for the indoor ficus to feel at home, he it is necessary to create the appropriate conditions. In return, he will become a good friend to his owner, ennoble and cleanse the space, because it is not in vain that in many countries of the world the plant is sacred.

Outwardly, Benjamin's ficus resembles a small tree. The short trunk is covered with gray-beige bark.

The crown of Benjamin is lush, branched.

The tropical past of a houseplant is reminiscent of aerial roots or their rudiments (in their natural habitat, they absorb water from the air).

The color of the leaves - from plain green or light to variegated with the most diverse "graphics" of the pattern.

REFERENCE: Flower shops often offer customers three plants at once, planted in one pot, with woven trunks.

The original version - this cannot be done with any other representatives of the room flora. However, you can also purchase a single plant ficus Benjamin.

If you want to plant a winter garden or a greenhouse, it is difficult to find something better than a ficus.

Rich, glossy foliage pairs well with other houseplants and does not require any special, time-consuming care.

motherland

The birthplace of Benjamin indoor is the tropical forests of Asia. This representative of the mulberry family is found today in China, India, Australia, Hawaii and the Philippines.

In its natural habitat, it stretches up to 25 meters in height. While his room relative reaches a meter and a little, and it takes him about ten years to do this.

REFERENCE: The people of Thailand expressed their respect for the plant by calling Benjamin's ficus a tree-symbol of the capital of the country, the city of Bangkok.

Crown

A houseplant quickly becomes lush, branches well, so the formation of a plant crown is one of the main directions in caring for a plant. The shape of the "haircut" can be selected from several options:

• bushy;
• in the form of a ball;
• in the form of any sculpture;
• according to the bonsai principle.

By the way, the bonsai haircut works well due to the fact that ficus shoots do not lose their elasticity for a very long time and allow you to do all the necessary manipulations with yourself.

ATTENTION: Crown pruning is desirable to do during accelerated growth - in spring or at the very beginning of summer.

It must also be borne in mind that the younger the plant, the easier it is to cut.

And you also need to know a number of rules: use only sterile tools, protect the bark from damage, and do not cut off the leaves manually.

It is worth adhering to the principle of measuring seven times before using scissors or pruners: so as not to spoil the appearance of the plant.

Try to mentally keep in mind the result you are striving for, and cut only those branches that do not fit into the ideal image created by your imagination.

You can weave a pigtail or spiral from semi-lignified stems, as specialized stores offer, on your own, but not earlier than the lower part of the plants, from which you start weaving, reaches a length of thirteen centimeters.

As it grows further, turn after turn is added, and the pigtail itself (so that it does not unwind) is held with electrical tape or woolen thread. By the way, the plant from such a "braid" is only good - the stems become stronger.

root system

Benjamin roots tend to be very strong. It is no coincidence that plants in their homeland take measures to protect sidewalks and underground communications from the destructive action of its roots.

For a home plant, it is important to choose the right pot. It should not be too large, wide - in such a ficus it will grow slowly, mastering the underground space centimeter by centimeter. But crampedness is useless - the root system should be comfortable.

ADVICE: A transplant may be required only when the roots fill the entire pot. This is a signal that more spacious capacity is needed.

Aerial roots, characteristic of ficuses growing in the natural environment, are rarely observed in indoor plants: they simply do not need much, the efforts of the traditional root system are enough to extract water and nutrients from the soil.

Bloom

The plant blooms only in natural conditions and in greenhouses, the climate of which and the conditions of detention are close to natural. However, there are no rules without exceptions: according to flower growers, sometimes their homemade ficuses also bloomed.

The inflorescence called syconium is more like a red berry with a small hole, and if you don’t know what it is, you can start to worry if your plant has some strange disease.

Kinds

Specialists have brought out a great many different ones. The differences between them, as a rule, lie in the color, shape and size of the leaves.

Here are some of these varieties:

Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out regularly, every two to three weeks, but not all year round, but from the beginning of spring to September.

For example, it is considered a sure sign that Benjamin attracts wealth and prosperity to the house.

There is also an opinion that the plant is able to extinguish negative emotions, fill the house with happiness.

Like it or not, it's hard to say, but the fact that ficus neutralizes formaldehyde, one of the most dangerous substances that pollute the air in residential premises, has been proven by scientific research.

By purchasing such a beautiful and, you probably will not regret it.

ficuses are again gaining wild popularity, especially as indoor plants - for their originality and unpretentiousness in care. But many of us know little about ficuses. Let's get to know them better.

The genus Ficus belongs to the Mulberry family (Moraceae). Other well-known plants belong to the same family, for example, mulberry, paper tree, breadfruit, maclura, Brazilian dorstenia. Ficus was isolated by C. Linnaeus in 1753. Now up to 1000 species are known, which are distributed in the equatorial and subequatorial belt in the territory from about 35 o north to 35 o south latitude - in Africa, America, Asia, Australia.

There are so many different types of ficuses in the world that it is easy to confuse them. The difficulty in identification also lies in the fact that the same type of ficus can be found under different names, or, conversely, two different ficuses can have the same name. To avoid such confusion, it is customary to put at the end of each Latin name the name of the scientist who first described this species, often in an abbreviated form.

If other plants can be recognized by their leaves, then this number will not work for ficuses), because very often a ficus leaf plate within one variety can change more than between varieties. This feature is called heterophilia, a prominent representative of which can be called ficus heterophyllous, or deltoid. Therefore, when determining one or another type of ficus, attention is also paid to the color of the bark, the size and color of syconia, the nature of the venation of leaf plates, and the general appearance of plants.

Each type of ficus has its own habitat on Earth. For example, in the Amazon River basin there are such types of ficuses that cannot be seen anywhere else.

Ficuses growing in equatorial humid forests have an evergreen crown with hard, shiny leaves, adorning powerful columnar trunks, at the base of which are flat plank-shaped roots, which also rise above the ground several meters in height. In the equatorial climate, where it is always warm and very humid, plants grow all year round. At evergreen ficuses, for example, ear-shaped ficus, crater-leaved ficus, old leaves do not have time to turn yellow and fall off, as new, young leaves bloom again. That's why they seem to be evergreen.

In the mountainous regions of the tropics, at an altitude above 1.5 kilometers above sea level, ficuses with densely pubescent leaves, for example, ficus Hirta. Pubescence protects ficuses from hypothermia. Cherry ficus has pubescence in the form of short bristly hairs, almost invisible, but because of their presence, the ficus leaf plate seems rough.

In the subequatorial zone, where there are periods of drought that can last several months, there are growing semi-deciduous(cape ficus, or sur, sacred ficus, racemose ficus) and deciduous ficuses. The erect ficus (Ficus erecta) is considered to be completely deciduous. Even those plants that grow far from their homeland shed their old leaves every year in October, and new leaves appear only in January.

In ficus dye, or green (Ficus infectoria), the leaves fall off twice a year: in autumn and spring. His young leaves begin to bloom at the ends of the shoots, when the old leaves have not all fallen off.

On the rocky slopes of the mountains of the Mediterranean, in Iran, Central Asia, the carian ficus (Ficus carica), better known as the fig, or fig tree, grows. This is a deciduous ficus that freezes over after severe frosts, but quickly recovers in the form of root shoots.

Semi-deciduous ficus rough (Ficus aspera), sheds only part of the leaves.

Among the ficuses there are not only trees, but also shrubs, for example, scaly ficus (Ficus ramentacea), as well as large creepers, a typical representative of which is hairy ficus (Ficus villosa).

On the island of New Guinea grows a lot undersized ficuses in the form of small climbing vines that cling to the support with aerial roots. One of them - tiny ficus (Ficus pumila) - is called the "climber from East Asia" and is used to decorate the walls of houses in tropical countries. In room conditions, such ficuses are used as ampelous or ground cover plants.

There are ficuses that start life as epiphytes on other trees, then, as they grow, turn into banyans or strangler ficuses. How the epiphyte behaves rubber ficus (Ficus elastica), golden ficus (Ficus aurea), high ficus (Ficus altissima).

Strangler ficuses belong to the category of natural wonders. Tropical plant researchers J. Korner and A. Fedorov described the approximate life cycle of strangler ficuses. Birds or insects carry ficus seeds to the top of a large tree. The seeds germinate, and at first the ficus receives nutrients from the air and water with the help of its aerial roots. Gradually, the roots wrap around the trunk of the tree on which they grow. As soon as the aerial roots of the ficus reach the ground, they quickly take root and begin to grow rapidly in thickness. Some roots grow together, cover and squeeze the entire trunk of the tree. The tree dies, turning into humus, but continues to serve as food for the ficus for a long time. When the tree finally disappears, a strong frame-trunk of intertwined and fused roots of the strangler ficus remains in its place.

Another, no less exotic form of ficus life - banyan, which got its name in honor of the sacred tree of India - Bengal ficus (Ficus benghalensis). Strangler ficuses turn into banyan trees in the later stages of growth. Over time, on the horizontal branches of an adult tree, aerial roots hang in garlands, which, having reached the ground, take root, thicken and turn into additional trunks. Sometimes such offspring trunks are separated from the mother plant. But often multi-stemmed groves grow. In the Calcutta Botanical Garden (India), the "Great Banyan" grows, which has up to 1000 root offspring. This tree is 160 years old and it will take 10-15 minutes to walk around it. Other large banyan trees cover an area of ​​up to 2 hectares.

However, not every plant in this group of ficuses turns into banyans. This is facilitated or hindered by the natural conditions in which ficuses grow. For example, yellow ficus in the arid regions of Africa grows like an ordinary tree, without even growing to its maximum size.

Malaysia and New Guinea have earth ficuses, in which shoots develop in the lower part of the trunk, underground. Leaning and reaching the ground, the shoots penetrate the surface layers of the soil, forming inflorescences there, which eventually become seedlings. Earthen ficuses include long-horned ficus (Ficus uncinatavar. strigose).

There are even succulent ficuses. Such ficuses grow in arid areas. And in order not to lack moisture, they store it in a thickened trunk. These ficuses include Ficus palmeri (Ficus palmeri).

Ficus flowering- this is another of the wonders in the plant world. The fruit of a ficus is called a fig. In fact, sweet berries with an abundance of small seeds are fruit. They are usually pear-shaped with a hole at the top. Scientifically, ficus seedlings are called syconia. They are lined inside with flower petals, but you can see the petals only by breaking the fruit in half. In general, ficus has three types of flowers: male, consisting of stamens; female, consisting of pistils; and another type of inflorescence with long pistils, which turn into a sweet fruit. In wild ficuses, all three inflorescences are on the same tree. Only in cultivated forms of the fig tree, the inflorescences that form the fruit are found on female trees and are called figs. Male infructescences (caprifigs) always remain hard and inedible.

Pollination of ficuses occurs with the help of insects. There is a variety of wasps that pollinate only ficuses. Some seedlings of ficus wasps are used as incubators for breeding. Flying into one or another inflorescence, wasps transfer pollen from stamens to pistils. Wasp larvae overwinter in male inflorescences - caprifigs. However, new parthenocarpic varieties of figs have been bred - seedlings develop without pollination and seed setting.

Ficus has another wonderful property - caulifloria, thanks to which its inflorescences, and then infructescence, develop directly on the trunk.

No matter how ficuses are tied to their habitat, a person successfully intervenes in the life of ficuses. Now many beautiful varieties and forms of ficuses have been bred for every taste. Some species of ficus have been transplanted from their usual habitat to other places, and they have successfully established themselves in the new place. Now ficuses decorate not only city streets, parks in areas with a warm climate, but also our homes.

When writing the article, materials were used https://ru.wikipedia.org;
Literature: In Chekurov "Ficuses".
Image source: www.tropicaldesigns.com, www.happyho.ru, http://biodiversity.sci.kagoshima-u.ac.jp, https://www.flickr.com - Brian Chiu, Black Diamond Images, Joel Abroad , Hans Hillewaert, Reuben C. J. Lim, *L, S.J. & Jessie Quinney Library, Tim Waters, rosch2012, Pedro Garcia

Big banyan in the homeland of ficus - India

Ficus is rightfully considered one of them. This plant belongs to the mulberry family and is popularly called the rubber tree, since its juice is fifteen percent of the indicated substance.

Ficus is native to the subtropical and tropical forests of Malaysia, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. More than nine hundred are known, and all of them have significant differences.

In nature, ficuses can be:

In addition, they can also develop on other plants, forming adventitious roots, which subsequently reach the ground itself. These are the so-called. In the homeland of ficus, banyans form Bengal ficus, sacred ficus and Indian ficus.

Another famous ficus homeland is New Guinea. There are often plants that reach a height of more than forty meters, while the diameter of their trunk is at least five meters. Most species have large, often glossy leaves, which can sometimes be lowered down. The flowers of the plants are small and collected in inflorescences. All parts of this plant contain milky juice. In the homeland of ficus, in Latin America, special medicinal tinctures are made from it, which are used in the treatment of benign tumors.

Video: Ficus care at home. FICUS BENJAMINA. Ficus problems and their solution

Ficus racemose tree at home, in India

Video: Reproduction of Ficus Robusta

In southern Indonesia and the northeastern regions of India, which are known as the birthplace of ficus, this evergreen plant is considered sacred. It is revered by local Buddhists, since it was under it that Buddha reached the state of nirvana in meditation and meditation. In addition, the described plant can be found in all the temples of Ceylon without exception. There, according to ancient tradition, it was first planted in 288 BC. These plants are considered symbols of high spirituality, and numerous pilgrims tie colorful ribbons on them.

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At home, the plant rarely grows more than one or two meters in height. According to the teachings of Feng Shui, it not only has positive energy, but also helps to increase efficiency, and also helps to concentrate on a particular business.

Attention, only TODAY!

Ficus Benjamin is a houseplant from the numerous genus Ficus. Its popularity can be compared with. Homeland - the tropics of Asia. In the wild, due to constant humidity and high temperature, the tree can reach up to 30 meters in height.

Independent is not always easy, as it might seem at first glance.

Care rules

Since the homeland of the plant is the tropics, it means that care for it should be close to natural. The root system of ficus Benjamin is quite developed. The flower has many, each of which has an individual leaf shape, height and color.

Watering

You need to be extremely careful when carrying out this process. The amount of watering will directly depend on the time of year, the size and age of the specimen, the temperature regime, the level of air humidity and lighting. characteristic of the summer season. Be sure to check the soil before each watering, it should dry out a couple of centimeters. Remember to drain excess water from the pan. With the onset of the winter period, the plant should be watered strictly as needed.

Boiled water at room temperature is ideal for this process.

Do not take Ficus Benjamin out of the bathroom immediately after bathing. Let it dry out a little.

Lighting

Despite the fact that the homeland of the tropical plant and the level of lighting there can be the most diverse, ficus Benjamin needs a little effort. Lighting will directly affect the overall health of the flower and the color of the leaves. Lighting must meet the following criteria:

• direct sunlight is strictly prohibited;
• the place should be well lit.

Temperature regime

For cultivation, you will need to take care of a constant temperature regime from 20 to 25 degrees above zero.

Protect Benjamin's ficuses from gusts of air, drafts and open windows.

With the onset of the winter season, Benjamin's ficus can survive temperatures from 16 to 18 divisions of heat.

Air humidity

The homeland of this plant also influenced the level of air humidity that must be maintained at home. This is especially true in the summer period, when the humidity level should be high. Also, on hot summer days, the flower will not refuse to be sprayed with boiled water at room temperature. With the onset of the winter season, you need to make sure that the pot with the plant is as far away from the heaters as possible. Experts recommend keeping a container of water or a special device next to the pot that maintains the level of humidity in the air.

Fertilization

Ficus Benjamin will not refuse top dressing, which is carried out twice a month during spring and summer. As a rule, alternate organic and. With the onset of active development, it is necessary to apply fertilizers that contain a large amount of nitrogen.

Transplant procedure

Ficus Benjamin can not be transplanted only at will. To start this process, there must be a good reason from the following list:

1. became too small.
2. The root system enveloped the entire earthen room.
3. Transplantation is required due to a change in soil or an improvement in the drainage system.
4. During breeding.

As a rule, a plant transplant is recommended to be carried out annually. To do this, choose the spring period. And only specimens that have reached 3 or even 4 years of age can be transplanted every 3 years. Do not forget to add fresh soil to the container with the plant from time to time.

For young ficuses, leafy soil is excellent, for older ficuses - dense nutrient soil.

Capacity for you need to choose not too spacious and large. We choose a pot a couple of centimeters wider than the previous one. Be sure to take care of good drainage.

The flower is negatively related to alkaline soil or soil with high acidity.

Extremely careful you need to be with the root system of the plant. She is very fragile. That is why the entire breeding process will take place by transshipment along with an earthen clod.
A couple of days after transplanting, you can water the plant.

If you purchased Benjamin's ficus in a specialized store, then do not rush to transplant it. You need to wait for the completion of the adaptation period, which lasts about a month.

Plant propagation

Cutting is the most effective way. The cuttings take root perfectly in soil or water, which needs to be changed from time to time.

If the cutting was planted in the soil, then it makes sense to cover it with a glass container to create a greenhouse effect.

The ideal breeding time for ficus is spring or summer.

It was at this time that Benjamin's ficus activates the growth of leaves and the root system. The main thing is to choose the right size of the handle. Cuttings that are too short or too long will not take root.

Crown pruning and its formation

It will help to give your pet an original appearance. The most common forms are:

• bushy;
• various kinds of stems;
• sculpture;

Pruning, like other processes, is carried out with the onset of the spring season or at the beginning of the summer period. It is worth remembering that the younger Benjamin's ficus, the easier it will be for you to form its beautiful crown.

Be sure to follow the following rules during the trimming process:

1. Ficus benjamina should retain its natural appearance.
2. Do not rush to cut all the branches in a row.
3. The pruning tool must be sterilized.
4. Do not damage the bark of the plant.
5. Leaves should not be twisted or even torn off.
6. The cut must be carried out strictly at an angle directed to the upper edge.

But not only the trimming process can achieve a beautiful appearance. The plexus of trunks will help in its formation. To achieve this, it is necessary to plant several young specimens of the plant in one container. Their trunks are quite flexible and easy to weave. It is necessary to remove the leaves, in those places where the shoots are woven.

The trunks can be tied with sticky tape or wool thread to keep them from growing.

Growing problems

Not all flower growers know how to care for Benjamin's ficus. Therefore, consider the problems that can most often occur during cultivation:

1. Leaves fall.
2. The appearance of a sticky coating.

Possible reasons:

Just don't panic if the leaves start to turn yellow or fall off in the fall. This is a natural process for Ficus Benjamin.

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