Ficus ilicina
A rock-splitting fig of the semi-desert escarpments of south-western Africa, from southern Angola through Namibia to the Northern Cape. It sends its roots into cracks in rock outcrops and grows as a scrambling shrub, or rarely a small tree over 5 m, with glossy, narrow leaves. For growers it is a sun-loving, drought-tolerant fig suited to a sunny window, a greenhouse or bonsai culture, not a humid terrarium.
Where it grows wild
Rocky outcrops, cliffs and boulder slopes in arid and semi-arid country, where it anchors its roots in rock crevices and scrambles over the rock face. Roots follow cracks down to deeper moisture, which lets it survive in very dry landscapes. Figs about 1 cm across ripen in summer and are eaten by birds and people.
Recorded up to about 1300 m. Few GBIF records carry an elevation. The mapped points run from near sea level in Namaqualand up to the Namibian escarpment and the Khomas Hochland.
🔒 Growing it like that
The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:
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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. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.