Can anyone positively ID this Ficus?

[The Ficus Guy]

Hey all,



I grew this tree from seed I bought off ebay listed as "Ficus rubiginosa" seed. However, looking at pictures online I'm not so sure if this is a PJ. Anyone have an idea of what it really is?

[alpineart]

Hi The Ficus Guy , mate going on the size of the leaf i would at a guess say its a Moreton Bay Fig . There are many cross pollinated figs nowadays so positive ID can be difficult .

Cheers Alpineart

[The Ficus Guy]

Hi The Ficus Guy , mate going on the size of the leaf i would at a guess say its a Moreton Bay Fig . There are many cross pollinated figs nowadays so positive ID can be difficult .

Cheers Alpineart

Thanks Alpine. I've gotten so many different ID suggestions I'm unsure of what to think

[DustyRusty]

Morton Bay is possible. This has been discussed before on many threads. But on true Morton Bays, the petioles are very long. Much longer than in these photos. The internodes are very long too. On a mature tree the difference between a Morton Bay and a PJ is quite noticeable. I can't tell you with certainty that this isn't a Morton Bay. Once the tree is even more developed with more unrestrained growth it might be more obvious. It looks like a PJ to me. The more northern variety probably Ficus rubiginosa 'glabrescens'. I prefer the southern rusty form, but both are suitable to bonsai and leaf reduction is possible. If it's a true Morton Bay, then it's not suitable. What most members on here are calling Morton Bay are in fact large leafed forms of the rubiginosa.

Keep figging brother.

[The Ficus Guy]

How's this for leaf size?

[DustyRusty]

Wow. Looking more and more like a MB. Can you show us a petiole (leaf stem)? The length of this could be even more telling

[The Ficus Guy]

Wow. Looking more and more like a MB. Can you show us a petiole (leaf stem)? The length of this could be even more telling

Does the one in the first post still count

[DustyRusty]

Sorry. You're right there are some good shots. Thought you might have an update on the petiole too.

But looking at your original photo I'm pretty confident to call a MB on this one. Those petioles are as a longer as a finger and the internodes are crazy big. Much bigger than even my largest leafed PJ. The leaf shape looks just like a MB too.

I've never grown one. I heard that a true MB is pretty difficult to bonsai, because of the internode and petiole problem. If I were you i'd get take a small leafed PJ or a little Ruby (if you can get one in your neck of the woods) and graft it onto this root stock.

Happy figging

[The Ficus Guy]

Sorry. You're right there are some good shots. Thought you might have an update on the petiole too.

But looking at your original photo I'm pretty confident to call a MB on this one. Those petioles are as a longer as a finger and the internodes are crazy big. Much bigger than even my largest leafed PJ. The leaf shape looks just like a MB too.

I've never grown one. I heard that a true MB is pretty difficult to bonsai, because of the internode and petiole problem. If I were you i'd get take a small leafed PJ or a little Ruby (if you can get one in your neck of the woods) and graft it onto this root stock.

Happy figging

I really hope it's not a Moreton. If so I'm not interested

I bought the seeds from a seller in Australia (eBay) and they were listed as rubiginosa seeds. Maybe I could chop this back and see how small the leaves emerge as?

[DustyRusty]

I could still be wrong. It could be a large leafed PJ.

The chop back could be a good indicator. Although I'm confident that anyone could get an acceptable leaf size from a MB, but I'm not confident about the internodes and petioles. If you think that these are acceptable, then I'd grow it. If they are so long it could never look realistic then send it to the sausage factory...

[The Ficus Guy]

I did chop this one back today. I noticed, however, that there are no small hairs on the underside of the leaves. Could that be an indication that this is definitely not a PJ?

[Grant Bowie]

Although the ficus rubiginosa (Species) has a red, furry back the bulk of them used for bonsai do not. They look like yours.

MB fig has a Cordate(heart shaped) leaf; yours does not so I would still call it a PJ Fig; just young and vigorous and a long way from home.

Grant

[The Ficus Guy]

Although the ficus rubiginosa (Species) has a red, furry back the bulk of them used for bonsai do not. They look like yours.

MB fig has a Cordate(heart shaped) leaf; yours does not so I would still call it a PJ Fig; just young and vigorous and a long way from home.

Grant

Ah, so the hairs aren't on all PJs. Would you say that characteristic also comes from age?

[Grant Bowie]

Although the ficus rubiginosa (Species) has a red, furry back the bulk of them used for bonsai do not. They look like yours.

MB fig has a Cordate(heart shaped) leaf; yours does not so I would still call it a PJ Fig; just young and vigorous and a long way from home.

Grant

Ah, so the hairs aren't on all PJs. Would you say that characteristic also comes from age?

In my opinion/experience/memory the answer is no; they do not get the furry red back with age.(Or not as bonsai at least)

You either get it or you don't. Often the species can be variable but named after the first specimen they trip over when getting off the boat from England or wherever. (Banksia integrifolia for instance)

Most of mine have always been without the red furry back bud from seed plucked form the massive trees in the Sydney Botanical Gardens, the Sydney Domain or a park in Burwood.

Grant

Grant

[The Ficus Guy]

Although the ficus rubiginosa (Species) has a red, furry back the bulk of them used for bonsai do not. They look like yours.

MB fig has a Cordate(heart shaped) leaf; yours does not so I would still call it a PJ Fig; just young and vigorous and a long way from home.

Grant

Ah, so the hairs aren't on all PJs. Would you say that characteristic also comes from age?

In my opinion/experience/memory the answer is no; they do not get the furry red back with age.(Or not as bonsai at least)

You either get it or you don't. Often the species can be variable but named after the first specimen they trip over when getting off the boat from England or wherever. (Banksia integrifolia for instance)

Most of mine have always been without the red furry back bud from seed plucked form the massive trees in the Sydney Botanical Gardens, the Sydney Domain or a park in Burwood.

Grant

Grant

Very interesting, thanks Grant. I guess we'll see how this one responds to the cut back then...