2017 ASHS Annual Conference

The Australian continent is an incredible place, filled with flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth. Extreme diversity can be found across the country, from the oldest rainforest on Earth at Daintree to the arid, endless flats of the Nullarbor Plain. In This presentation we will take a journey Down Under and discover the rich diversity of the native Ficus that flourish in these various conditions and highlight a few select species that have an enormous potential to become exceptional subjects in the landscape horticultural world. The genus Ficus in Australia is represented with 44 known species. Most species are concentrated in the northeastern rainforests of Queensland. However, a handful of lesser known species can be found growing as rock figs and scrubby fire-resistant trees in the eroded, red-sandstone escarpments of the Kimberley region of northwest Australia, which is the home of the oldest land on Earth. It is a true land of extremes. Sun-scorched, bone-dry conditions persist for over half of the year and fire is a constant part of the ecosystem. In summer, the monsoons begin and a torrent of storms wreaks havoc on the land. It is in this region and in this climate that we find some of the most evolved and unusual species of Ficus in the world. It is also home to the plants we will discover in this presentation. From F. aculeata A. Cunn. ex Miq., F. podocarpifolia Corner, F. subpuberula Corner, Ficus coronulata Miq., and F. platypoda A. Cunn. ex Miq., to the world’s smallest Ficus (and perfectly named) F. lilliputiana D. J. Dixon, we will examine the landscape horticulture applications of these Australian Ficus of exceptional merit. Photo: F. platypoda in habitat.