Description

Fiddle-leaf fig, Ficus lyrata, is a species of flowering plant in the mulberry and fig family Moraceae. It is native to western Africa, from Cameroon west to Sierra Leone, where it grows in lowland tropical rainforest. It can grow up to 12–15 m (39–49 ft) tall. It is a popular ornamental tree in subtropical and tropical gardens, and is also grown as a houseplant in temperate areas, where it usually stays shorter and fails to flower or fruit. It requires indirect natural light. It is hardy down to 10 °C (50 °F), so specimens may be placed outside during warm periods.

Characteristics:

Fiddle-Leaf Fig, a native of Tropical Africa, is a large evergreen tree often reaching 40 feet in nature. They have large shiny, fiddle-shaped (or guitar-shaped) green leaves up to 15 inches long. Interestingly, this fig can also be grown as a house-plant in a pot. It can also grow as a free-standing tree on its own, growing up to 12-15 m tall. The leaves are variable in shape, but often with a broad apex and narrow middle, resembling a fiddle; they are up to 45 cm long and 30 cm broad, though usually smaller, with a leathery texture and a wavy margin. The fruit is a green fig 2.5-3 cm diameter.

Medicinal Uses:

Leaf extract has high antibacterial and antifungal activity against bacterial and fungal species while root extract has low antibacterial and antifungal activity against bacterial and fungal species.