Species library › Ficus › Ficus katendei
Other Partly documented

Ficus katendei

Ficus katendei is a very rare fig known only from riparian and lower montane forest in south-western Uganda, described in 1998 and named after the Makerere University botanist who collected it. Like many figs it starts life as an epiphyte (a strangler) and later becomes a free-standing tree. In cultivation it would behave as a warm-intermediate tropical fig: bright light, steady warmth with mild nights, and even moisture.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest period

Where it grows wild

Grows in riparian forest along streams and in lower montane forest. Seedlings establish high on host trees as epiphytes, send roots down to the ground and eventually stand as independent trees, so the young plant sits in the bright upper canopy while the mature tree forms part of it.

The six wild GBIF records lie at 1,300 to 1,400 m, which fits the lower montane forest described in the literature.

Uganda

🔒 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.