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Ficus sycomorus

Sycamore fig

A large, spreading fig tree of rivers and woodland across tropical Africa, Madagascar and southern Arabia, grown since ancient times in Egypt for its fruit. It reaches about 20 m with a dense, round crown and yellowish, peeling bark, and it wants full sun, warmth and deep water at the roots. Indoors or in a greenhouse it needs as much light as you can give and a drier, cooler winter.

Ficus sycomorus
Photo: איתן פרמן 14:23, 31 May 2006 (UTC), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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

Grows in rich soils along rivers and in mixed woodland, where its roots reach permanent ground water. It is a free-standing tree with a broad, dense crown and full exposure to the sun. Figs are borne on the trunk and older branches all year and are pollinated by the fig wasp Ceratosolen arabicus.

The 52 records with an elevation span 13–2051 m, median 746 m. The weighted measured sites are in the South African and Eswatini lowveld at 4–474 m.

Tropical AfricaSouthern AfricaMadagascarEgyptArabian Peninsula

🔒 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. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its Public domain licence, unmodified.