Ficus, a slender tall bush with large shiny leaves, is able to decorate any apartment or office space. It is unlikely that there is a person who has never seen ficuses in his life, because this is one of the most popular indoor plants. But few suspect about their diversity and some interesting features.
In nature, there are about a thousand varieties of ficuses, among them there are not only trees and bushes, but also vines. The homeland of these plants is the subtropics, but ficuses are unpretentious and adapt well to other climatic zones. The only thing that is vital for them is the increased humidity of the soil and air.
The height of the ficus can reach 50 meters, and the length of the leaves is 1 meter. The roots of some of their varieties are capable of splitting stones, they are so strong.
Ficus-epiphytes parasitize trees, entwining them with roots and drawing out juices. Over time, the exhausted "donor" dies, condemning his strangler to death. But by this time, the ficus has time to scatter the seeds, which are carried by the wind and birds around the area, in order to give life to new plants.
Bengal ficus or banyan tree creates for itself a personal grove inhabited by its own descendants. The seeds of this plant turn into a tall, strong tree, on the horizontal branches of which aerial roots begin to grow. When they reach the ground, these shoots take root and grow into new trees, but they remain forever connected with their parent. The oldest tree in the genus can be about 200 years old.
Ficuses also include the so-called "bottle trees". One of them is the ficus palmera, parasitizing on cacti. Having attached itself to a nutritious, moisture-rich donor, the tree begins to develop into an independent plant. In the lower part of its trunk, a hollow thickening gradually forms, which serves as a reservoir for storing liquid "for a rainy day".
Once upon a time, rubber was extracted from the milky juice of ficuses.
Spherical formations in the axils of the leaves, which many take for the fruits of the ficus, are in fact its inflorescences. These include edible figs (also called figs or figs).
Ficuses growing indoors perfectly filter the air, clearing it of toxic substances.
Legend has it that childless families need to have a ficus plant at home, and the offspring will not be long in coming.
