Jump to content
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LOGGING IN ×
  • WELCOME GUEST

    It looks as if you are viewing PalmTalk as an unregistered Guest.

    Please consider registering so as to take better advantage of our vast knowledge base and friendly community.  By registering you will gain access to many features - among them are our powerful Search feature, the ability to Private Message other Users, and be able to post and/or answer questions from all over the world. It is completely free, no “catches,” and you will have complete control over how you wish to use this site.

    PalmTalk is sponsored by the International Palm Society. - an organization dedicated to learning everything about and enjoying palm trees (and their companion plants) while conserving endangered palm species and habitat worldwide. Please take the time to know us all better and register.

    guest Renda04.jpg

Ficus dammaropsis "lowland" variety


Tracy

Recommended Posts

I just picked up a 1 gallon seedling of a lowland form of Ficus dammaropsis from our PalmTalk friend Josh.  While I am growing a red fruit and red vein variety, I thought it would be fun to try this variation as well.  I didn't hesitate to drop it into the ground, as I just cleared some spots to facilitate replacing a fence between my house and my neighbor's.  Before and after shots of the little seedling.  I put down some snail & slug control after planting it as added protection from pests going after its still very soft juvenile leaf which is opening.

20170722-104A7112.jpg

20170722-104A7119.jpg

  • Upvote 2

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I planted this one small and young, because I learned that I should have planted my other one sooner, as it didn't grow nearly as fast as a friend who got one at the same time and planted his up into a trash can to provide growth room immediately.  The red fruit form I'm growing is really progressing in growth this summer after a couple of years in the ground now.

20170722-104A7125.jpg

20170722-104A7126.jpg

20170715-104A7078.jpg

  • Like 2
  • Upvote 4

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great plant Tracy!

I put one in the ground 3 years ago and for the first year it really didn't do much.

Year 2, it started to grow like a weed.....crazy. It has now filled up the space I put it in.

These are so cool looking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tracy,

it will be fun to see the growth rate of your Ficus d. 'Low land' you just planted out. Mine seems to growing with vigorous speed.

not may people growing this one in California. A gem of a plant.

 

looking forward to updated pictures along the way :)

  • Upvote 1

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Great plant Tracy!

I put one in the ground 3 years ago and for the first year it really didn't do much.

Year 2, it started to grow like a weed.....crazy. It has now filled up the space I put it in.

These are so cool looking.

'Lowland form' Jim ?

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Josh-O said:

'Lowland form' Jim ?

Believe so Josh.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Believe so Josh.

Please share photos of yours Jim!:drool:  I decided to get my "lowland" form knowing it would be slightly different than my other one, yet either would be suited to the spot in the garden.  I also realized that the lowland aren't readily available, so wanted to take the opportunity when it arose.  Danke Josh!:greenthumb:  Are the couple you had left all spoken for yet?  Will be interesting to watch how other lowland form from your batch perform when they get planted in gardens.

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gorgeous pics, folks! If someone could figure out how to pollinate the fruit on these things, they'd be sitting on a goldmine!! Anyone know if Ficus species in general can be hand-pollinated?

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Josh76 said:

Anyone know if Ficus species in general can be hand-pollinated?

I know that many of the rare varieties I've seen were propagated from cuttings.  Josh, who I got my "lowland" variety F dammaropsis from, can share with you the story of it's background, but my other one pictured here was an "air layer" cutting, as this species doesn't do well from ordinary cuttings.  It can be so colorful, this new leaf was actually one of the less colorful to open.  The emergent leaf color variation is quite wide for me, and doesn't follow seasons or speed of opening, which others seem to find drives the color variation.

20170724-104A7153.jpg

  • Upvote 1

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/07/2017, 11:39:22, Tracy said:

I just picked up a 1 gallon seedling of a lowland form of Ficus dammaropsis from our PalmTalk friend Josh.  While I am growing a red fruit and red vein variety, I thought it would be fun to try this variation as well.  I didn't hesitate to drop it into the ground, as I just cleared some spots to facilitate replacing a fence between my house and my neighbor's.  Before and after shots of the little seedling.  I put down some snail & slug control after planting it as added protection from pests going after its still very soft juvenile leaf which is opening.

20170722-104A7112.jpg

20170722-104A7119.jpg

It's interesting because this doesn't look like it was propagated as an airlayer, the leaves are far too small and juvenile looking.....could someone have got hold of seed from Papua? Or is it some little low side branch that never got enough light to boom?  I also like planting trees as seedlings or this size as they establish much much faster than large pot grown trees. The roots go places immediately.

I have seen a low land form at the Singapore botanic gardens, newly planted, that same week as an airlayer and the leaves were pretty huge already, certainly mature form already.  However after only a year I went back and was completely stunned at how fast it had grown in girth and how much larger the leaves had grown. Truly enourmous leaves on a thick thick still shortish trunk. They don't have a slow season gardening wise in Singapore or a dry season really so it's just grow grow grow. I always lusted after such a thing but after seeing it for real just know it wouldn't thrive for me with our winds and typhoons, those leaves are like sails and the branches look a bit rigid, any branches it did develop would be ripped right off. 

  • Upvote 1

Cerdic

Non omnis moriar (Horace)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Cedric said:

It's interesting because this doesn't look like it was propagated as an airlayer, the leaves are far too small and juvenile looking.

So the newly planted "lowland" Ficus dammaropsis was not an air layer; I will defer to Josh, who I got it from on it's history.  My other and now older Ficus dammaropsis, with the red fruit, was from an air layer propagation (it is not the "lowland" form).  You are correct, the air layered plant had leaves which were in their mature form when it was still just a 24" stick in a pot with 2 leaves at the top growth point.  The newly planted lowland form clearly does not have it's mature leaf form yet, one of the reasons I put down a snail control around it. They are small soft and still very tender leaves, which would be quite appealing to snails and slugs.

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The plant I got from Ebay a while back had tiny leaves at first - it did not appear to be an air layered plant. So there is definitely either a source of seed floating out there, or the plants are being propagated via tissue culture.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Hi Tracy I still have some available.  Yours will be 5 feet tall in no time flat :) 

Send me a PM  if interested.

This is the holy Grail of ficus Dammaropsis indeed.

 

 

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/26/2017, 12:11:03, Tracy said:

So the newly planted "lowland" Ficus dammaropsis was not an air layer; I will defer to Josh, who I got it from on it's history.  My other and now older Ficus dammaropsis, with the red fruit, was from an air layer propagation (it is not the "lowland" form).  You are correct, the air layered plant had leaves which were in their mature form when it was still just a 24" stick in a pot with 2 leaves at the top growth point.  The newly planted lowland form clearly does not have it's mature leaf form yet, one of the reasons I put down a snail control around it. They are small soft and still very tender leaves, which would be quite appealing to snails and slugs.

 Not sure either seed grown or tissue culture? My source will not reveal his method 

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/26/2017, 3:50:13, Pando said:

The plant I got from Ebay a while back had tiny leaves at first - it did not appear to be an air layered plant. So there is definitely either a source of seed floating out there, or the plants are being propagated via tissue culture.

Cool, how is your's doing? Any updated pictures.

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Josh-O said:

Cool, how is your's doing? Any updated pictures.

I potted it up and the growth stunted a bit, but it's pulling out of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Pando said:

I potted it up and the growth stunted a bit, but it's pulling out of it.

:greenthumb:

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
On 7/29/2017, 9:01:37, Josh-O said:

Any updated pictures

After 3 months, it just keeps pushing new leaves.  The latest is showing some nice color, and each new leaf seems to get larger as it finishes unfurling.  The colorful leaf will continue getting larger as it opens.

20171008-104A7683.jpg

20171008-104A7684.jpg

  • Upvote 3

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/9/2017, 4:01:40, Tracy said:

After 3 months, it just keeps pushing new leaves.  The latest is showing some nice color, and each new leaf seems to get larger as it finishes unfurling.  The colorful leaf will continue getting larger as it opens.

20171008-104A7683.jpg

20171008-104A7684.jpg

It's amazing how fast the 'lowland' form of Dammaropsis grows. I have actually potted up some in to 15 gals recently. Thanks for sharing your pictures Tracy :)

  • Upvote 2

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Josh,

The growth rate of these is incredible!

This is a must have plant for any collection!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

This is a must have plant for any collection!

I have to say, that is a tough one to argue against Jim.  Unless the figs come out with nasty poisonous thorns and it develops a root system from Hades that tears into water and sewer lines, its a gem!  And I'm not expecting either of those things.

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Sweet!  This is definitely a new and different Ficus d.

Matt Bradford

"Manambe Lavaka"

Spring Valley, CA (8.5 miles inland from San Diego Bay)

10B on the hill (635 ft. elevation)

9B in the canyon (520 ft. elevation)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/16/2017, 9:31:25, MattyB said:

This is definitely a new and different Ficus d.

Yes!  Variety is the spice of life, and I like spice (salt too, but that's another story).  As mentioned yesterday, my lowland is doing just fine, the confusion was that we have another new Tracy S on Palmtalk who was concerned about her new F dammaropsis.  Extra confusing for those who know my last name also starts with S.  Just remember, I'm the only Silver Back Howler Monkey.

The lowland variety is putting out each new leaf bigger than the last.  My size Large Rainbow sandal giving perspective of it's newest leaf.

20171118-104A7896.jpg

  • Upvote 2

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/19/2017, 11:09:34, Scott Cohen said:

My favorite Ficus :D 

But Scott, how does it taste?  The fruit that is.  I decided to slice into the fruit of my standard (not lowland) Ficus dammaropsis this weekend.  I sampled just a tiny piece, enough to tell me it was like picking up a cutting of any green stick and chewing on it.  Very non-descript and non-appealing taste, best described as bland.  I've never tried chewing on plywood, but imagine that it would be similar in flavor.  Definitely would be a last resort addition to the diet, unlike the edible Ficus carica fruit.

20171119-104A7923.jpg

  • Upvote 3

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/19/2017, 8:23:07, Tracy said:

Yes!  Variety is the spice of life, and I like spice (salt too, but that's another story).  As mentioned yesterday, my lowland is doing just fine, the confusion was that we have another new Tracy S on Palmtalk who was concerned about her new F dammaropsis.  Extra confusing for those who know my last name also starts with S.  Just remember, I'm the only Silver Back Howler Monkey.

The lowland variety is putting out each new leaf bigger than the last.  My size Large Rainbow sandal giving perspective of it's newest leaf.

20171118-104A7896.jpg

its surly om its way. I bet your glad you got one of these bad boys :)

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Josh-O said:

I bet your glad you got one of these bad boys :)

Boy, girl, hermaphrodite.... which ever it is, YES!:D  I'll let the wasps determine which it is.

  • Upvote 1

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Tracy said:

Boy, girl, hermaphrodite.... which ever it is, YES!:D  I'll let the wasps determine which it is.

:floor:

  • Upvote 1

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

I saw this tree on the weekend in Raglan, NZ and picked up a fruit off the ground.  Will the plant grow by placing the fruit on top of soil?  Is there seed inside?  Love this tree.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
On 2/14/2021 at 2:28 PM, Carissa said:

I saw this tree on the weekend in Raglan, NZ and picked up a fruit off the ground.  Will the plant grow by placing the fruit on top of soil?  Is there seed inside?  Love this tree.

A belated welcome to PalmTalk Carissa.  To answer your question, I would be surprised if you had the correct pollinator wasp in New Zealand even though you are much closer to where these are native to, in Papau New Guinea, than I am.  Without a pollinator to get inside the fruit where the flowers are located, it won't be viable.  Best bet outside of habitat is to grow from either an air layered cutting or try a traditional cutting.  Very few people have had success with traditional cuttings rooting, so air layering seems to be the method 99% of our supply comes from locally here in Southern California.

On a side note, mine isn't any bigger than it was a few years ago.  Limbs seem to reach a certain length and die back, leaving the plant to rely on other short sprouts that run along the ground to take over temporarily.  My new pup tried to sample a fruit that had fallen off, but it wasn't as tasty as his favorite item in the garden which are the hibiscus flowers.  I have to agree with him on his taste preference; although I don't eat the hibiscus flowers but I do like to make tea out of them.

20210422-BH3I3462.jpg

20210506-BH3I3907.jpg

  • Like 1

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...