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Tree Species (Scientific Name)

Ficus insipida

Tree Family

Moraceae

Average Leaf Size (cm)

20cm

Length

9.5cm

Width

Tree Height

Medium (20–35m)

Elevational Range (m)

0–1400m

Distribution

Native

Exotic

Native to Peru

Native to

Region

Americas

Latin America

Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela

Coffee Agroforestry Information

Coffee System

Arabica

Coffee Impact

Unknown

Prevalence

Unknown

Cultivation

Planted

Natural

Tree Management

It prefers a sunny position and is fairly fast-growing. The seed is best planted as soon as it is ripe in a shaded position in a nursery. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 20-60 days. When the seedlings have a height of 3-4 cm, transplant them into individual containers. They are ready for planting 8-9 months later.

Tree Benefits and Uses

Farmer Uses

Food
Firewood
Lumber
Medicinal
Product

It is used for decorative veneers. Latex is used as a purgative and against snakebites. Used as poison. The fruit is used for handicrafts. Its edible fruit is sometimes collected from the wild for local use.

Farm Services

Unknown

Biodiversity Benefits

Yes

The flowers are pollinated by very small wasps of the family Agaonidae and after pollinating the flowers, they lay their eggs in a large part of the seeds, which serve as shelter and food for the offspring. The fruits of the fig tree are the favorite food of many species of bats, parrots, monkeys, and birds.

Citations

Solis R, Vallejos-Torres G, Arévalo L, Marín-Díaz J, Ñique-Alvarez M, Engedal T, Bruun TB (2020). Carbon stocks and the use of shade trees in different coffee growing systems in the Peruvian Amazon. The Journal of Agricultural Science 1–11. https:// doi.org/10.1017/S002185962000074X;

Plants of the World Online POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org;

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Ficus insipida (Willd.). Accessed 5 Oct 2022. Published on the Internet: https://panamabiota.org/stri/taxa/index.php?taxon=Ficus+insipida&formsubmit=Search+Terms;

Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-10-12. tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ficus+insipida

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