Ficus citrifolia aka Shortleaf Fig

Ficus citrifolia is a tree that keeps its leaves year-round. It belongs to the mulberry family, Moraceae. Common names include shortleaf fig and Jamaica cherry. It grows in Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Its range also covers much of South America. It reaches south to Argentina and Paraguay. The RHS lists it as non-native to Britain and Ireland.

The tree has a broad crown that spreads out. It can also grow as a shrub. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of about 39 feet [12 metres]. Its fuller account gives an upper height of 59 feet [18 metres]. These figures do not set a separate garden size range. The trunk can reach about 2.5 feet [0.75 metres] across. Older trees can form buttresses, or supports at the trunk's base. They can also grow long aerial roots above the ground.

This fig often starts on a branch of another tree. At first, it grows above ground as an epiphyte. This means it grows on another plant. It then sends aerial roots down toward the soil. When they reach the ground, they thicken and feed the fig. The roots can wrap around the host tree. They can then limit the growth of its trunk. The spreading crown also shades the host's leaves. The host may die, and the fig then grows alone. This matters where other trees must stay intact.

The flowers grow inside the part that becomes the fig. They include male flowers and two kinds of female flower. One female form has a long style. The other has a short style. Fig wasps pollinate the flowers inside this closed space. The female wasp enters the fig to lay eggs. It lays them in flowers with short styles. At the same time, it pollinates flowers with long styles. This links seed growth to the wasp's breeding cycle.

Wild plants grow in forests and thickets. They also grow along fences and beside roads. Records include moist and wet forests that stay green year-round. People grow the tree for shade, hedges, and its looks. They also gather wild plants for food and wood. The supplied account does not name the part people eat. Useful Tropical Plants gives food use two out of five. That source reports no known hazards. But it gives no detailed guidance on safe use. The evidence gives no frost limits for this species. Nor does it give pest guidance or a watering schedule.