Algarve, Portimao,
Portugal 
I have seen ficus plants grown outside, providing a good hedge facility, but looking up on the internet all I can find about it is "Fig" or bonsai. I live in Portugal with no or very little frost, full sunlight in the summer. I want to plant in tubs on the patio. Are these plants evergreen and what sort of soil do they need, also what position should they be planted in.
Looking forward to replies, thank you.
17 Feb, 2016
Answers
They will grow outside - I have seen them around here. But it depends on which you get and what is available. Some are not cold hardy and have to be grown as houseplants, so avoid the ones with tropical origins. Figs are in the Ficus family, so it isn't surprising you keep coming up with it.
17 Feb, 2016
The Brown Turkey fig will grow in South West Wales against a south or east facing wall, and it gets colder here than in Portugal.
17 Feb, 2016
Ficus microcarpa is also often used for hedges here, especially the variety nitida. Advantages: dense foliage, medium fast growth. Disadvantages: If maintenance fails, will "escape" into a gigantic 10 meter tall, 15 meter wide tree, and roots are shallow, so it is prone to falling over in windstorms, and breaking pavement with its roots.
20 Feb, 2016
Previous question
« Hi. I have a front piece of garden which is fairly sunny and I'd like to grow...
Ficus benjamina is listed as hardy down to Zone 9b in America, which means temperatures not lower than zero C for preference, but will take down to -5deg C. Some information in the link below
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2470/
17 Feb, 2016