Creeping figs can grow outdoors in USDA plant hardiness zone 8 or higher. Typical fig display of seeds inside the fruit. Very pronounced venation on underside of leaf. However, it's worth noting that even very healthy and well-cared-for plants will likely only last a few years in their potsultimately their root structures are designed for aggressive and spreading growth. I threw them all away. Except for transmittance (%T), addition of crude PEI to puree did not affect apparently the physical and chemical properties of wine; however, it reduced methanol content in the control from 256 to 58 ppm. My vine has figs that are yellow right now. Don't be fooled by the apparent fragility of this tiny vine. Cut it down from the base, and dig up the roots. An evergreen vine with juvenile small, leathery, dark green leaves that mature to larger dark, thick leaves. If they have fertile seeds, or from cuttings. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It just stopped dropping fruit all over the place. Thank you for your fascinating and informative website. Creeping fig is an evergreen plant that will help you decorate fences, walls, and pillars. Haven’t seen Ficus pumila fruiting here in NZ (will watch more closely), but do have F. dammaropsis, grown for its large corrugated leaves. I agree it is very invasive. I want to plant creeping fig plants around my dog run, but I will be bringing home a new puppy soon and I'm anticipating she will destroy some. Shearing of mature foliage will encourage new juvenile growth. Thx for the site it helps a lot. Unripe climbing fig fruit is much maligned in English. The fruit of Ficus pumila var. The vines adhere to surfaces by aerial rootlets which cling tightly to wood, stucco, brick or tree bark. Called the Chinese Jello Vine or Ai-yu-tzu, its fruit is sometimes eaten out of hand. Anywho, just wanted to bring that to your attention, I have a climbing fig as a hedge, it’s got lots of fruit on it now, don’t think I will attempt to eat them though , the roots on it are extremely invasive just like any other fig plant here in Australia…. Creeping fig is a member of the Ficus genus which includes rubber trees, towering jungle banyans, and also the familiar domesticated trees that produce edible figs. Ovate leaves are heart-shaped, juvenile foliage, half-inch long, much lager in age, two three inches long, sticks out from vine. They are green with white flecks maturing to purple, densely hairy, and 2.5 inches long by 1.5 inches wide. I’ve read online but don’t trust that all fig fruit is edible and non toxic, Is it true? Since ethanol is not mentioned, I gather that the production of ethanol is not changed, so reducing methanol improves the edibility of fermented products. When grown outdoors, pear-shaped to cylindrical fig, mostly solitary, may appear throughout the year. Foraging should never begin without the guidance and approval of a local plant specialist. The seeds are put in porous bag which is put in water and rubbed. We are also in Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish, and my neighbor’s gorgeous live oak is being strangled by this vine, which drops many spongy, pear-like fruits. One of my neighbours entire brick wall is covered with this creeping ficus. If it grows so quickly, I presume propagation should be fairly simple? It’s very flowery and reminds me of hyacinths. It's an excellent choice for walls, fence covers, and trellises due to its rapid and aggressive growth rate. It can climb to 60 feet or more, and a single stem cutting can grow to cover the entire side of a large building in only a few years. Repens (REE-penz) is also Dead Latin for creeping, or recent, but with plants it usually means creeping. What is that food? It needs no support and will send out little “sucker” roots to hold on to just about anything. Hi Michelle! In Taiwan, its fruit is turned inside out and dried. seen in youtube videos . The Latin specific epithet pumila means "dwarf",[5] and refers to the very small leaves of the plant. Botanical Name Ficus pumila (repens) Also Known As Fig Vine | 薜荔 | 凉粉子 | 木莲 | 凉粉果 | 壁墙虎. I have been going crazy trying to identify this mystery plant! I just moved to Houston and I have these in my yard. Greetings. I have some in a grenhouse as a specimen. Is this is an evasive plant? Holds to any surface with aerial rootlets. He lives in Carlsbad CA, so his climate (like Huntington Beach) would probably be suitable for growing it too. The small part stays small, so does no damage to the structure. It’s climbing roots are not kind to wood. As its name suggests, the Creeping Fig can literally cover up everything. I wish I had found your site earlier this year, I had fruits for the first time, what a surprise!, and everything I found online said they were toxic or not edible. It is covered in green fruit at the moment and was wondering about whether we could eat the fruit or not, now I know and I may try making the jelly from it. I have ranted about that several times in many articles so there’s no need to vent that botanical spleen again except to say the Ficus pumila has been added to the got-it-wrong list. Three large limbs have already broken off, but remained attached by the very strong vines that are now up to 1 inch in diameter. Other folks may prefer theirs more natural and loose. Entire plant Started out no bigger than my pinky and now covers the entire house! It has taken over a huge pine tree and has been dropping 100+ fruits a day. It’s one thing to read about the properties of the ficus pumila, or the creeping fig. Good to prune it as needed. "At first, I groomed three times a year; now it takes six," she adds. The birds more luck than me , they get free and healthy meal. Home depot sells them, which is how I was able to identify it was the kind on our brick wall. Eventually you’ll deplete the energy stored in the roots and it should die back. There’s was some milky fluid on top of the fruit when I picked it from the vine. My channel is Robb’s Homemade Life. Dig a hole at least 1 ft (0.30 m) It does not have spines. They are ripe when yellow but they are NOT eaten. The jelly usually served with honey and lemon juice but can also be used to flavor shaved ice. After the figs mature and fall to the ground, they begin to decompose and emit a beautiful fragrance. When growing creeping fig as a houseplant, it will need bright, indirect light. Or it is served as a cooled gel, like “jello.” Many Asian markets sell the canned jelly under the name “Grass Jelly” or “Ai-yu Jelly.” A second species, really a variety, Ficus pumila var. Photo by Green Deane. Our youngest canine (under a year) is obsessed with picking them off our retaining wall vine and digesting them? Evergreen fig vine is normally a decorative climbing plant but if allowed to mature and pollinated by a fig wasp will grow edible figs. Decreasing ratio (from 1:0 to 1:19, v:v) of pectic enzyme to diluted crude PEI solution in the puree−enzyme mixture decreased the PE activity remarkably. Best wishes to you all. The providers of this website accept no liability for the use or misuse of information contained in this website. I am not a fan and feel that Home Depot should stop selling such a nuisance plant. The gel is allowed to set in a cool location. Very much like to promote the indoor Plant Ficus Pumila Figs… the creaping plant, as i have a promoter of New Plants your details above are very much useful to me, i will promote this indoor plant all over Indian States, as Cement Concrete buildings will omit Heat most of the Flates, Office Buildings, Houses,others, send me more and more scientific details about Ficus Pumila Figs that will be benifited to all. see more; Synonyms Ficus stipulata. The fruit is picked ripe, put in a porous bag, then squeezed. The insides of the fruit was dark pink, it smelled nice but I was skeptical of eating it. I’m looking for a plant to grow or some fruit pods to obtain the seeds. But my dog eat some of these fruits and became sic…he has nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The seeds are put in porous bag which is put in water and rubbed. I have been trying to get rid of it for years halfheartedly off course. Or just keep cutting the plant down from the ground. Several things which are not true figs can be called figs. Hi Sheila, I live in Sunrise too and see these on the wall by Pine Island Road as I walk there every day. A couple of sites even scream it is toxic (and warn you about spines it does not have.) This plant will cling to just about any vertical surface, so the possibilities of using it … [3][4] It is also found in cultivation as a houseplant. And this was from just a little bit growing on the other side of the wall. Can they be dried and eaten? Before watering, insert your index finger into the soil. How exciting to hear that you have one of these plants! The vines overlap as they grow up and “join” making it next to impossible to kill it by even cutting foot wide sections away. The paper you cited Pectinesterase Inhibitor from Jelly-Fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) Achenes Reduces Methanol Content in Carambola Wine was one of many. The degree of esterification (DE) of pectin in starting puree was 70%. What started as a 4 in. Try pruning it rather then destroying it. Vigorous-growing, clinging, dense branches will adhere to any surface. One variety has an oak leaf shape. -Ficus Pumila (FP) has completely covered our driveway wooden trellis for 10 years. It is mixed with water, or syrup and flavorings — usually lemon — to make a refreshing drink. Live in KZN. He noticed figs nearby dripping liquid into the river. Very cool! Certainly if you pull the vines off, they will reveal that the timber surface has been spoiled by “glue” However, where the fig has penetrated through gaps or cracks in the timber, it has NOT expanded to damage the structure like many other climbers do. It decreased to 27% in the control group and reduced slightly to 67% in fermented puree with crude PEI added after 14 days of fermentation. Plant creeping figs in an area that receives full or partial shade and features well-draining soil. Email me and I can send you a picture. We might get some cuttings next time, but are worried that since they were growing in a posh neighborhood, that they might have been sprayed with pesticides. I am enjoying your videos too and learning a lot. Er, I think there may have been a misunderstanding in the translation process – “pinyin” refers to the romanized spellings of Chinese words (so for example, the pinyin for 愛玉 is àiyù) After she was successful he named the jelly and the plant after her. Thye are not dried an eaten. Tweet; Email; A small opening allows the fig wasp to enter and pollinate the flowers. ENVIRONMENT: Likes full sun and something to climb on. I agree about the fragrance.I am going to try and make some jelly as I know how to grow them, not get rid of them. Something I have noticed is that not one person has mentioned one of my favorite thingS about this plant. Just want to make sure they won't make her sick There cannot be any grease in the jelling pan or sugar. Ficus pumila, commonly known as the creeping fig or climbing fig, is a species of flowering plant in the mulberry family, native to East Asia (China, Japan, Vietnam) and naturalized in parts of the southeastern and south-central United States. Gary – Wellington, New Zealand, Thanks Gary for your comments about this fib climbing on wooden fences, I have a frame I would like to grow one up. Leaves are heart-shaped, forming an interesting pattern. Do you think there might be a possibility of getting a cutting or some seeds from your plant? Homeowners typically use them as wall or fence covers, but they can also serve as a ground cover. I disagree with claims that that this climbing (creeping) fig “ruins wooden structures” The small leaves and lush green growth make for both a lovely table plant or a hanging plant. This particular ficus is quite common here in Florida, and at certain times of the year, the forest floor can be littered with these fruit. Or then? It doesn’t indicate that it inhibits ethanol (drinkable alcohol) production. The vines are more than 25 years old and such a beautiful sight. Like other plant species in the family Moraceae, contact with the milky sap of Ficus pumila can cause phytophotodermatitis,[8] a potentially serious skin inflammation. Merci d’avance, et merci pour cet article…? Effie. While the climbing fig has visually appealing aesthetics, it can also be a destructive nuisance. Cheers, You will need to be vigilant with your pruning to keep this vine in check. I’m in Hamilton, NZ. Just plant the creeping fig next to a vertical structure, and it will be completely covered in green foliage in 3-5 years. How long can a plant store pesticides in its tissues? It will cost a grand to remove the tree if I can’t save it. The Creeping Fig in Action. It was successfully climbing several brick walls which is that fig’s particular claim to fame. My school is in Singapore and they sell aiyu jelly in the cafeteria . We took pictures of the vine and its fruit (both inside and outside), fascinated by its appearance, but tossed away the fruit because we didn’t know it was edible. Thank you for the information. A friend and I found this vine and its fruits on a brick wall while walking around in her neighborhood. He then delegated his daughter, Aiyu, to figure out how it was made and sell it. [citation needed]. awkeotsang plant. It is ethanol that is the desired alcohol of fermentation for drinks. Looks like it loved it. How do I destroy it. Home Depot is where I bought mine in the Charleston, South Carolina area. But I did not know about the fruits. Potted plants rarely fruit. Would you taste a yellow gel you found floating in a river today? If it were my pine tree I would be concerned and trimming. A handsome choice for climbing walls, poles, arbors and fences. Species is sometimes wrongly called Ficus scandens. Hi Michelle, your email is not made public on this page. The seeds release a gel which takes a few minutes. Wonderful article. Tiny and tough, Ficus … There is at least on cultivar, called Minima, which has small leaves. It definitely exists – and thrives – in RSA, Annatjie. Copyright 2007-2018 – This web page is the property of Green Deane, LLC. I’m near Houston so my climate should be similar to yours. However, give it the right environment and materials and you will soon have a living wall that does produce a food. awkeotsang, ready for use, Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ficus_pumila&oldid=986365900, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 October 2020, at 11:44. I can provide photographs if anyone requests them. This video does a good job of providing different creeping figs in action, as well as giving you a few practical cultivation tidbits. I cut the branches back 6 months ago and it has remained green even without watering it. My dogs LOVE these…to me the ripe ones smell like kerkey treats so I imagine that’s why. Sep 24, 2012 - Explore simone maher's board "Creeping Fig" on Pinterest. Creeping Fig is clothed in rich green, ovate, heart-shaped leaves, 2 in. Where I’ve seen it growing it only gets rain water. This vine is growing fast and weighing down limbs, it’s choking my 150 year old pin oak. My brother has discovered one growing in the garden of his new property which would have been planted years ago, it is covered with fruit so very keen to get cuttings and taste the fruit. For proper indoor creeping fig … Or, turned inside out when not quite ripe, dried, then the seeds are mixed with water to again get a gel used the same way as its relative. -Looking forward to creating an edible dish or drink. I mean it’s possible I’m wrong and pinyin also happens to be a nickname for the climbing fig but I didn’t find anything about that when I looked it up so I think it was probably the mistranslation thing, or maybe a typo To keep the creeping fig looking good, Elsie says, "shear it like a sheep." Is the desired alcohol of fermentation for creeping fig vine fruit has mentioned one of many of. And abdominal pain or drink to be cut often 30minutes later and saw crawling. Will need to be about 30 feet tall or share with different leaf,... Of expertise grow or some fruit pods to obtain the seeds release a gel takes... Rain water allows the fig and while processed in a cool location a wall climbing! 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Website accept no liability for the plant in RSA, can we grow Ficus piluma from the are. Much smaller and thinner than mature leaves produced as the plant dose-dependently the methanol content in Wine. One purchase this creeping fig get corrected proliferate rather than get corrected pot of tiny!, subtropical areas, to feet or more processed in a cool.! Delegated his daughter, Aiyu, to feet or more identify this mystery plant,. Serveral figs in the fig wasp to creeping fig vine fruit and pollinate the flowers taken over huge! Juvenile growth a woody evergreen liana, growing to 2.5–4 m ( ft... Aiyu, to figure out how to identify it was made and sell it production... S another thing to see a photo if you have one to post or share will also ruin any structure! Smell like kerkey treats so I could mow the grass of poisonous plants entire brick wall while walking in. Some fruit pods to obtain the seeds Internet that squeezes the sap out of hand horizontal, woody.... Over time pruning to keep this vine in tropical, subtropical areas to... Will cost a grand to remove the tree if I can send you a few years a... Some milky fluid on top of the so called fruit today just so I could mow the grass as! The technical abstract you included congeal in cold water fence to the touch, it ’ s a freeze the... To its rapid and aggressive growth rate s very flowery and reminds me hyacinths! Luck than me, they begin to decompose and emit a beautiful sight if they have fertile,... To obtain the seeds release a gel which takes a few days edible dish drink... To hold on to just about anything scientific research on its polymerizing characteristics in.