Ficus benjamina 'nuda' or Ficus nuda

Looks cute that size..
amazing to think how large the tree can grow ...

I love Ficus Bengamina. I love the drooping of the leaves. :o))

Terratoonie:

That's the problem with people planting them in their yards. They think: look how cute the little tree is...then it becomes a monster tree with gigantic roots lifting up their sidewalks and the foundation of their homes (it's very common here with the giant Ficus species).

Lindalooloo:

I love Ficus benjamina, also. It's so widely planted here in San Diego as a street tree and landscape tree. I have many pics posted on GoY.

Here's a few of the thousands growing here in San Diego:

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/204699-ficus-benjamina-tall-large-weeping-fig-at-ocean-beach-san-diego-ca/member/Delonix1

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/197109-ficus-benjamina-weeping-figs-in-old-town-san-diego-ca/member/Delonix1

Thanks Andy. checked the pics out. They're stunning. I didn't realise they grew that big. I use to sell them in the shop, as houseplants, and I've only ever had them myself indoors. I didn't realise they could go outdoors. I shouldn't think they'd last 2 minutes outdoors in our climate. :o))

Lindalooloo:

You're welcome!

Yes, Ficus benjamina can become a very large tree with quite a large spread, also. The tallest ones here in San Diego are 50ft/16m or slightly taller. In the wet tropics they grow massive and cover acres with their aerial roots (which are very rarely produced here in San Diego).

I have a ficus benjamina planted in a pot, the last 17years,
it grew up good enough but not to bad for a balcony, now it deserves plenty soil to grow, so I'm moving it to the ground :)

I think they are very pretty plants. Delicate looking. When you see them as a small pot plant, it's unbelievable to think, that they could grow so big. :o))

Aleyna:

I'm sure Ficus benjamina grows to become a huge tree in your climate, also. It probably develops many aerial roots in your wet, hot and humid subtropical climate.

Lindalooloo:

Yes, they do become a very large tree. This is what gets so many people into trouble...thinking it's small and cute little tree like the posted above...then it comes a monster. :>)

The little tree planted above is how I used to sell them(as houseplants), small and sweet. lol.
The trees that get people into trouble here, are the small, cute, fir trees. They're sold in pots, and are usually about 18/20ins in height. Very good sellers for balconies and patios, but people also buy and plant them as hedges for privacy, not realising how tall they grow, and how fast they become monsters. :o)

Yes, there's so many trees where people get into to trouble by not doing the research to find out how large their trees will eventually grow.

When my younger Daughter bought her house, the previous owners had planted these Conifers across the garden, and up towards the house on both sides, making the garden look smaller, as the previous Man of the House didn't like gardening. My Daughter wanted them removed, as they were taking up the light, so my hubby cut them down with a chainsaw to start with, and then had to hire a 'JCB' to dig up the roots. The trees themselves were taller than the house, and closely packed together. Hubby said there were between 17/20 trees, within this small patio area, and he dreaded to think what would have happened to my Daughters and the neighbours foundations, had they not been removed......

I always hate to see trees cut down...however, many times they have to, because they're so badly placed and can causes thousands of dollars in damage to a house's foundation. Your daughter was very lucky to have the trees taken out before major damage to the foundation.

This pic is a good example what can happen with huge Ficus trees...I think the rubber tree in this photo is more than 75ft/23m tall.

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/179958-ficus-elastica-decora-rubber-tree/member/Delonix1

Just checked the pic out. It's unbelievable the damage that can be caused.
A number of years ago, we planted a 'Morello' cherry tree, halfway down our garden, not knowing at the time, what the species was. I had been given a selection of shrubs and plants from the college I was attending at the time. I hadn't been told that one was a cherry tree. The first couple of years, my daughters horse kept munching on it, so it was kept well pruned Lol.
Then it grew, and grew, and grew into one stunning tree.
Hubby decided to cut it back as it had grown too big for our garden, but he noticed the dividing wall between ours and the neighbours garden had a huge crack running through it, so the fate of the tree was decided.
The tree was cut down. The roots which had spread right across our garden, under the wall, and across next doors garden, were as thick as the branches of the tree. It's unbelievable just how thick the root systems can be. As Hubby said, trees of that size, have to anchor themselves well, and the root system below is as big or bigger, than what is growing above...

I've never thought of a cherry tree as having such a large root system. That's amazing! We don't really have cherries in San Diego. It's too warm in winter to satisfy their chilling requirements.

I didn't realise the trees grew so big, until I had one in the garden. lol.
GoY friend 'Michaella' did a blog on her cherry tree last summer. The amount of cherries she had off hers was amazing. I'd never been that lucky. :o)