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Interactive Botanical Tour
Point No. 12
Species: Ficus sycomorus L.
Family: Moraceae
Figure 1:Ficus sycomorus. Anita Gould,iNaturalist.
The fig tree, Ficus sycomorus (common names are sycamore fig, common cluster fig, mulberry fig), is native to Africa and commonly found in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal1, where it will often be found growing near water courses. The range of this tree, however, extends throughout Africa, Lebanon, the Southern Arabian Peninsula, Cyprus, very small areas of Madagascar, and Palestine. Although these trees are able to tolerate nutrient poor soils and have the ability to improve soil nutrients through nitrogen fixation from the atmosphere2, creating a better growing environment for surrounding plants; they are typically found in nutrient rich soils3. It was planted in 1979. It was bought from a nursery in Nelspruit.
Fig trees are known as one of the most sacred trees in the world- and for good reason. This valuable and versatile group of trees have been in cultivation for a very long time- so long, in fact, that there are mentions of it in the Quran and Holy Bible3. Some even believe that it is the species to which the fig leaf mentioned in Genesis 3:7 belongs. The wood of this tree was used to build sarcophagi (coffins) for ancient Egyptians, and the fruits were buried with the pharaohs3. There is a reason why this tree has been around for so many years and has a deeply rooted heritage.
Figure 2: Bark of the fig tree. Riana Fourie,iNaturalist.
F. sycomorus, the sycamore fig, has specialised branches on which the fruits grow. These fruiting branches are what give a number of different fig trees the name broom cluster figs. These specialised branches do not have leaves on them1. If you cut these branches off and manage to root them however, they will start to produce leaves and grow, giving you an instant bonsai tree. As these branches grow, the amount of fruit produced also increases. A vast majority of living creatures from birds to baboons rely on this tree for food and shelter. The fruit of this tree itself is actually an inverted inflorescence with all the flowers making up what we call the fig. Once the flowers are pollinated, the seeds develop and expand into the syconium4.
Figure 3: Fruits of the Ficus sycamorus. Markus lilje,iNaturalist. Figure 4: Ripe fig. Sula Vanderplank, iNaturalist.
The entire family to which Ficus sycomorus belongs has a unique pollination strategy. The strategy involves a mutualistic relationship with a species-specific wasp5. Quite a remarkable, symbiotic relationship exists between the tree, Ficus sycomorus, and the wasp, Ceratosolen arabicus5. The wasp pollinates the fig, an inverted flower, as the seed is a source of food for the wasp’s offspring. Once the fig is pollinated, it wastes no time in ripening and becoming a delicacy for humans and animals alike. If the sycamore fig or its specific fig wasp were removed from a forest/habitat, surrounding animal life would be dramatically affected6. Because of the inverted flower, known to us as the fig, this tree is considered a symbol of fertility, as the inside of the fig is a ‘womb’.
In Israel and Egypt, this specific wasp species does not occur- the figs therefore cannot be pollinated or ripen in these countries. It is thought that thousands of years ago the Egyptians and Israelis would cut the fruit in a specific way to get it to ripen artificially (Amos 7:14). The sycamorus fig produces fruit several times a year which is different from many other Ficus trees- most fig trees fruit 1-2 times a year. For this reason, it is given the name ‘The tree of eternal life’. Because of its fruiting capabilities, these trees hold crucial importance in being a member of the ecosystems which they inhabit.
The multifaceted tree is widely used; from its figs, to its sap as well as its bark. The figs are edible in a raw or dried state and even fermented to make alcohol. The wood of this tree is used in carpentry and building, and is great for making drums and rope7. It has even been used to stimulate cows to produce milk by infusing cold water with the wood. The leaves are also of browsing importance to livestock that range within the trees natural distributions as they are very nutrient rich1. The sycamore fig also has multiple medicinal and nutritional traits- they are a great source of fiber, proteins and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins C, K and E8.
Text prepared by Kelsi Chomse and Josh Hoekstra, 2022 BOT 366 class.
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