Ficus retusa (microcarpa) - Indian Laurel, Chinese Banyan Tree

Wonderful old tree..:o>)))

Mushybanna:

I love all the large, old Banyan trees! I think all large ones in Balboa Park were planted around 1920.

Florida sized!

No, San Diego sized! LOL!

There's many very large F. retusa tree here. There's many around San Diego much larger than this one.

I would bet,the largest California Ficus have even more leaves then the tropical grown plants..short of those that banyon for acres.
Its interesting how all over Cali and Arizona these Ficus grow a dense canopy and in Florida or the tropics its much more airy. Must be the lower humidity.

I've seen photos of them with very dense foliage in Florida. In Hawaii they have very dense foliage, also.

These large tree in Balboa Park are thinned out quite a bit so the winds don't break the branches or split the trees.

There's a very large (~70' tall and 50' wide') and extremely dense F. retusa where I work. It's very surprising the tree hasn't split or have been damaged by past storms.