Ficus dammaropsis

dinner plate fig
Dinner plate fig has MASSIVE corrugated evergreen leaves up to two feet across! From the highlands of New Guinea; rare and unusual!
height 12–15ft
width 15–20ft
tolerates Pots
water
needs		 Moderate – High
water
info		 This ficus is from an area with ample rainfall and your watering should reflect that. This plant wants water when the top of the soil is dry, but you can still feel moisture just below the surface. This plant will often fall into a once-a-week watering cycle, but remember that your watering should be based on the moisture left in the soil, which will depend partly on the moisture in the room and the weather outside. The soil ‘surface’‘ goes a bit deeper for larger pots; for example, a plant in a 14-inch diameter pot should dry out a couple of inches deep before you water it, while a plant in a 4-inch pot will only want to dry out in the top ½ inch or so of soil.
hardy
to		 28F
exposure Direct Sun – Bright Indirect
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Planting Mix, In Pots: Potting Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin New Guinea
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 16, 17, 23, 24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

All ficus respond well to pruning, allowing even very large ficus to be maintained at a modest size. They do exude white sap, often containing latex, so if you have a latex allergy avoid the sap.

Special Interest

Ficus make figs, which at first don’t seem to be flowers. The trick is that the flowers are on the inside of the fig, which is why many figs are hollow and so unusual inside.

More Info

This plant has been raised to live indoors; however, it can also grow outdoors in mild areas of California. Keep in mind that the plant will go through a stressful transition, especially if moved outside in particularly hot, cold, or wet weather. Even if this plant will eventually thrive in direct sunlight, it has not been grown in this level of light, so if you plant it in direct sun, just expect that the leaves may burn at first, then happily regrow as they acclimate to the new levels of light. Planting in the spring or fall will help with this transition.