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Species library › Ficus › Ficus scobina
Other Well documented

Ficus scobina

Sandpaper fig

A small tree of monsoon forest and creeklines across the Top End of northern Australia, with very rough, sandpapery leaves and small edible figs. It is a hot, monsoonal plant with a long dry season, so it wants plenty of heat and light and a clearly wetter summer. It suits large containers and warm greenhouses.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Monsoon forest patches, creeklines, drainage channels and the edges of rocky outcrops. It usually grows near streams where some moisture persists through the dry season. It is a small tree of 3–8 m.

Lowland, from near sea level up to about 250 m.

Kimberley, Western AustraliaTop End, Northern Territory (Darwin, Kakadu, Arnhem Land, Katherine)

🔒 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.