# Chinese banyan

*Ficus microcarpa*

This tree is a 'strangler' fig; it often starts life as an epiphyte on another tree, eventually sending down roots that envelop and outcompete its host.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Rosales › Moraceae › Ficus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, limestone hills, and frequently naturalized in urban environments.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (requires full sun to partial shade, water, and atmospheric carbon dioxide).
- **Range:** China, Southeast Asia, Australia, India, United States (Florida, Hawaii, California)
- **Size:** 15-25 meters tall with a canopy spread often exceeding its height.
- **Lifespan:** 100 to 1,000 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Generally resilient, though susceptible to specific pests like the weeping fig thrips and potential habitat loss in native primary forests.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This species is safe to approach, but avoid contact with the milky white sap (latex) found in the leaves and stems, as it can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. If contact occurs, wash the area with soap and water.

## About

Ficus microcarpa , also known as Chinese banyan , Malayan banyan , Taiwan banyan , Indian laurel , curtain fig , or gajumaru (ガジュマル), is a tree native in the range from China through Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the Malay Archipelago, New Guinea, Australia, the Ryukyu Islands, and New Caledonia. It is widely planted as a shade tree and frequently misidentified as F. retusa or as F. nitida ( F. benjamina ).

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/6ed5e2c0-85ae-4c98-ab66-dfe0a49f8993
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/54982
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus microcarpa
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/59896114/medium.jpeg (葉子, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.