GARDENING: Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila)... Every Landscaper's Dream

Creeping Fig beautifully covering a neighbor's wall

Creeping Fig / Climbing Fig

Scientific Name: Ficus pumila

Propagation: Seeds, cuttings

You can find plenty of this creeping fig beautifully covering the old walls in our neighborhood. This is a very important landscaping plant as it helps to cover up walls and create a fantasy/beautifying effect on the property. It can be planted on a pot but also allowed to grow on beds to cover the walls. The aerial roots secrete a translucent latex that hardens on drying, allowing the sticks to adhere to their support. Here are some cuttings I made from our street corner and planning to give it away to neighbors, the bottle should help keep humidity levels and encourage roots. Every building should have their walls beautifully covered with these creeping figs!

Creeping Fig beautifully covering a wall
here on our street corner in a quiet residential area.
(Photo from 15 October 2013)

This is the fig covered wall (left, c.2014) from the first photo.
There also used to be two giant plumeria trees there,
which turned our street corner into a carpet of fragrant flowers.
Oh men... money can't buy those characteristics back!

The same property on our corner was turned into
a row of townhouses as of 2016.
No more fig-covered walls and plumeria trees.
We need to plant back those figs!
The tall commercial/industrial building at the back
is a violation of Zoning Ordinance of Quezon City.
See how it totally changes the character of the area?
(Photo from April 2021)

Creeping Fig along Apo Street

Closeup of the plant

Pepper having fun with the cuttings.

This is just an experiment
to keep humidity high.

# # # E N D # # #