Ficus religiosa seedling in Zone 9a?

[necturus]

My mother has a large Ficus religiosa in a pot. It has started rooting into the ground. I do not recall ever seeing figs on it, but I haven't watch it that closely. Thus, it was with some surprise that I noticed a seedling growing in a crack by her house. Has anyone experienced this this far north (Houston TX, Zone 9a)? I didn't think the wasps would venture this far north.

From what I can tell, F. religiosa can survive here as a dieback perennial, but they cannot grow into large trees. Between hard freezes I have seen large specimens at an Asian funeral home and in a front yard. I have also seen Pachira aquatica do the same.

There is a huge Buddha tree at the Texas A&M Corpus Christi campus that drops tons of figs, but it is on a small island and is in an extremely protected courtyard.  

[palmsOrl]

This species has started naturizing a bit in urban Orlando.  I have noticed a few trees as well as some seedlings growing in Sabal palmetto.  The same is true for Ficus area and Ficus microcarpa as well as Shefflera arboricola and Schefflera actinophylla.

[tropicbreeze]

Where I've had the roots go through the bottom of a pot into the ground and then get broken off plants have come up off the broken roots. But my biggest F. religiosa, over 6 metres tall, has never sent up any suckers from the roots. It seems as though when roots are broken they can develop a new plant. None of my other Ficus species do that. Maybe your small plant is coming off one of the roots.

[necturus]

It's way too far away for that, I think. I am going to search her yard thoroughly in a few days and see if I can find more.

[Ittai Baratz]

I think its the roots as well - They can travel miles looking for moisture. I visited Israel in the summer and I've seen them literally growing under every rock.