Species library › Ficus › Ficus sansibarica
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Ficus sansibarica

Knobbly fig

The knobbly fig is a large African fig, typically 10 m tall but up to 40 m as a forest strangler. It has smooth, lumpy grey bark and large figs borne on distinctive wart-like, leafless spurs on the trunk and main branches. It grows in coastal, riverine and evergreen forest and miombo woodland from sea level to about 900 m, often on deep sand. In cultivation it wants full sun, warmth, a free-draining sandy mix and a drier, cooler winter, and it will not survive frost.

At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Wikipedia describes it in coastal, riverine and evergreen forest or woodland and miombo, with a strong preference for deep sandy soils. It is also planted in villages and parks. It begins life as an epiphyte and becomes a strangler as it develops, eventually standing alone as a large tree. The subspecies sansibarica occurs in the east, extending westward along the Zambezi valley, and subspecies macrosperma occurs in West and Central Africa.

Measured records run 3–2,060 m, with a median of 320 m (37 records). Wikipedia gives coastal elevations to about 900 m, so the higher records are unusual.

South Africa: Limpopo and Mpumalanga lowveld (Northern Provinces)Mozambique and ZimbabweKenya and Tanzania coast, including ZanzibarMalawi and ZambiaAngolaWest and Central Africa: Senegal to Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic and DR Congo (subsp. macrosperma)

🔒 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.