Ficus sakalavarum
Ficus sakalavarum
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of tropical to subtropical latitudes, it is found at elevations from near sea level to about 1,000 metres. Prefers a deep, well-drained loam to clay soil rich in nutrients[1]. Sandy soils with a shallow groundwater level may also be suitable[1]. The best site for trees is next to drainage lines, streams, rivers, springs or dams[1]. Fig trees have a unique form of fertilization, each species relying on a single, highly specialized species of wasp that is itself totaly dependant upon that fig species in order to breed. The trees produce three types of flower; male, a long-styled female and a short-styled female flower, often called the gall flower. All three types of flower are contained within the structure we usually think of as the fruit. The female fig wasp enters a fig and lays its eggs on the short styled female flowers while pollinating the long styled female flowers. Wingless male fig wasps emerge first, inseminate the emerging females and then bore exit tunnels out of the fig for the winged females. Females emerge, collect pollen from the male flowers and fly off in search of figs whose female flowers are receptive. In order to support a population of its pollinator, individuals of a Ficus spp. must flower asynchronously. A population must exceed a critical minimum size to ensure that at any time of the year at least some plants have overlap of emmission and reception of fig wasps. Without this temporal overlap the short-lived pollinator wasps will go locally extinct[2].
Propagation
Seed - viable seed is difficult to obtain[1]. It germinates best at a temperature around 20°c[3]. Branches with a diameter of 50-150 mm can be used as large cuttings planted direct into the soil[1]. To avoid rotting of the tips, they must be left in the shade for a few days to dry before planting[1]. Most of the leaves should be removed before planting in 1 metre deep holes with some sand at the bottom. This prevents rotting of the cuttings and stimulates root formation[1]. Smaller cuttings can also be made from either the mature wood or from wood of the current season's growth[1]. They are first planted in the nursery to induce rooting and then planted out in the field[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ficus+sakalavarum>
Pollinators
Wasps
References
- [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
- [2]Global Invasive Species Database — http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/ ↩︎Very detailed information on almost 400 species (with more being added) of plants that have become weeds in areas outside their native range.
- [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [4]Flore de Madagascar et des Comores — Humbert H. · Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris · 1946 - 1984 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
- [5]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
- [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎