Species library › Ficus › Ficus craterostoma
Other Little published: much of this is inferred from related species

Ficus craterostoma

Strangler fig

An African fig that starts life as a strangler on another tree or on rock and becomes a shrub or tree up to 20 m tall. It has small, dark, obovate leaves with a notched or squared-off tip, and pairs of tiny stalkless figs that ripen yellowish-red. Western lowland and eastern montane populations may be separate species; in cultivation it is a tough, bright-light fig for a large pot or bonsai.

At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest period

Where it grows wild

In West and Central Africa it grows in lowland tropical and swamp forest; along the eastern escarpments, from Kenya to South Africa, it grows in Afromontane forest, often in rocky places. As a hemi-epiphyte it germinates on a host tree or rock and sends roots down to the soil.

Recorded elevations are 18–1,950 m, median 560 m (67 of 338 records); the western populations are mainly lowland and the eastern ones mainly montane.

SenegalGuineaSierra LeoneLiberiaIvory CoastGhanaTogoNigeriaCameroonGabonCongoDR CongoAngolaUgandaKenyaTanzania

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.