Chinese banyan is an evergreen tree from tropical and subtropical Asia with glossy, leathery leaves. Chinese banyan can grow into a broad shade tree outdoors or be kept small as a bonsai.
Appearance
Growth form
An evergreen tree with a dense crown and smooth gray bark. Outdoors it can reach 50 ft (15 m) or more.
Leaves
The glossy, leathery leaves are oval to diamond-shaped, up to about 5 in (13 cm) long, with short pointed tips.
Flowers
Tiny flowers are hidden inside the fig-like structures rather than displayed as petals.
Fruit
Small figs grow in pairs where leaves meet the twig; they ripen from green toward yellow or dark red.
Chinese banyan figs are usually small, up to about 1/2 in (1 cm) across. Florida strangler fig often has larger figs, about 1/2–3/4 in (1.3–1.9 cm) across; sizes overlap, so a distant photo may not settle the ID.
Why they get mixed up · Both can form large trees with in south Florida.
Weeping fig leaves are thinner and end in a longer, drawn-out tip. Chinese banyan leaves are thicker with shorter tips.
Why they get mixed up · Both are evergreen ornamental figs with shiny leaves.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
Central and south Florida landscapes
Warm urban areas
Indoor containers
Range
Native to tropical and subtropical Asia; introduced and naturalized in central and south Florida, where it is considered invasive. It is also grown as a houseplant and bonsai in the United States.
Preferred conditions
It grows in warm conditions and can form long aerial roots in humid air.
Life cycle
Reproduction
In Florida, a pollinating fig wasp helped planted trees make fertile figs and spread beyond cultivation.
Growing it
Care
The thick-rooted “Ginseng” form is often grown in containers or as bonsai.