ISLAND PLANTS
FICUS
In foyers and atria all through the northern US you will find potted "Rubber Plants". The large, shiny leaves help beautify acres of tiled floor. The same plant dug into a hole in The Bahamas will soon become a monster. It is not a true rubber tree but a white latex that exudes from cuts is very rubber-like.
There are many different kinds of Ficus and there are several that grow wild on Abaco: the Short-Leaf Fig, the Small-Leaf Fig and the Golden Wild Fig. The latex from Caribbean and central American varieties of Ficus is the basis of chewing gum.
In open parkland, such as available in Treasure Cay, Ficus trees can grow to enormous proportions. Ficus benjamina has relatively small, pointed, laurel-shaped leaves and the ends of its branches hang down in cascades like weeping willow. Cuban Laurel (F. retusa ) is another large Ficus you will find on Abaco and there are several Banyan trees (F. benghalensis ).
One you may not find is the Lofty Fig (Hi, Sid!) unless you want a room for the night.
All the Ficus trees grow a fruit of some sort but most are only for the birds. Seagulls have been noted feeding avidly on ripe Cuban Laurel fruits. Some people grow the large-leaf fig trees that produce sizeable edible fruits but results are rather variable in our climate.
If you are tempted to grow Ficus, think twice. Although some people grow F. benjamina hedges, they need far too much attention for the average homeowner. Let one get away from you and you have a monster on your hands. Ficus roots can destroy the foundations of a well-built house.
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