big Ficus macrophylla at Disney's Polynesian Hotel

[Eric in Orlando]

This Ficus macrophylla (Moreton Bay Fig) is growing at Disney's Polynesian Hotel. Its been there since around 1971. They trim the crown every few years to keep it it in control. Appropriately it is growing outside of Captain Cook's restaurant. Captain Cook named Moreton Bay in 1770 in honor of Lord Morton.

[Josh-O]

11 hours ago, Eric in Orlando said:

This Ficus macrophylla (Moreton Bay Fig) is growing at Disney's Polynesian Hotel. Its been there since around 1971. They trim the crown every few years to keep it it in control. Appropriately it is growing outside of Captain Cook's restaurant. Captain Cook named Moreton Bay in 1770 in honor of Lord Morton.

great looking specimen! They did a good job on how they gave it a haircut

[RedRabbit]

Cool tree, thanks for sharing!

[tropicbreeze]

It looks a bit strange to me. Have always been used to seeing them huge and spreading rather than small and compact like that. Many years back a large department store in NSW used the silhouette of one as it's emblem with a motto going something like "While I live I grow". One day the tree their image was modelled on died and the company went bust. Obviously they didn't keep up with changes in the retail industry but some associated it with the demise of the tree. There were stories going around that someone had deliberately killed it.

 

[Eric in Orlando]

11 hours ago, Josh-O said:

great looking specimen! They did a good job on how they gave it a haircut

Disney has top notch arborists!

 

 

[Eric in Orlando]

Interestingly, I grew a cutting off this tree back in 1993 and planted it here at Leu Gardens in 1994, it was about 3ft tall. Now it is giant, probably 40ft tall and twice that on the canopy spread. It is growing in an open area on a slope. It is swampy there from a nearby seepage spring and is developing a giant buttress and surface roots. I need to a get an update pic of this one.

[Josh-O]

8 hours ago, Eric in Orlando said:

Disney has top notch arborists!

 

 

I agree. I've only seen one other ficus that was trimmed like the specimin even in your photo 

[Matthew92]

This must have taken severe damage in the 80's freezes, I wonder how it survived that.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Opal92

[Eric in Orlando]

It had some damage but not major. Disney put heaters under it. There is also a huge Ficus aurea out in the luau area. It was brought in as a strangler on a Sabal palmetto back around '71. They keep it trimmed nice and open and keep it from engulfing the palm. It is about the same size as the Ficus macrophylla. They heated it also. There are a couple good sized Ficus microcarpa growing there but they were planted in the '90s.

 

 

 

[Matthew92]

12 minutes ago, Eric in Orlando said:

It had some damage but not major. Disney put heaters under it. There is also a huge Ficus aurea out in the luau area. It was brought in as a strangler on a Sabal palmetto back around '71. They keep it trimmed nice and open and keep it from engulfing the palm. It is about the same size as the Ficus macrophylla. They heated it also. There are a couple good sized Ficus microcarpa growing there but they were planted in the '90s.

 

 

 

Cool! And yes, I almost was going to ask about the one near the luau area, that's a beautiful one too.