Ficus palmata aka Punjab Fig

Ficus palmata has two common names: wild fig and Punjab fig. It belongs to Moraceae, the mulberry family, and sheds its leaves. Its range spans northeast Africa, Arabia, and parts of Asia. It reaches northern India, Nepal, and Pakistan. It grows near villages, in fields, and on waste ground. In Nepal, it also grows in forests and beside streams.

This fig forms a shrub or small tree with many branches. Sources give a height of around 13–16 feet [4–5 metres]. One source gives an upper height of 30 feet [9 metres]. Small flowers grow inside the part that forms the fig. Plants bear both male and female flowers. Sources say it can set fruit with its own pollen. They also report that wasps pollinate it. Fruit may fail where cold stops the fig wasp from surviving. Flowers appear from June to September. Seeds ripen in August.

Give this fig sun and soil that drains well. It prefers light or medium loam with some added lime rubble. It can grow in poor soil and cope with drought. Soil can be slightly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline. Heavy, wet soil can boost leaf growth but reduce fruit. Frost can harm new spring shoots, even on old plants. In Britain, a wall facing south or southwest gives warmth and shelter. Sheltered outdoor sites may suit it in milder areas. Keep tender spring growth out of early morning sun.

People grow this fig for fruit in India and Ethiopia. People also gather wild fruit for local Himalayan markets. Ripe figs are sweet and juicy, about an inch across. People eat them fresh or dry them for later use. Some cook young shoots and unripe fruit as vegetables. The recorded method starts with boiling. People then squeeze out the water and fry the food. Yet sources warn that sap and partly ripe fruit may poison people. These food uses do not make all parts safe. Nor do they make fruit safe at each stage of ripeness.

Folk uses include fruit for constipation and poultices to soothe. People also put sap on warts and latex on embedded spines. These folk uses do not prove that the plant has medical benefits. The wood bends and serves for hoops and ornaments. It has little value for other uses. Gardeners can grow plants from seed, cuttings, or layers. Young plants and cuttings need shelter from frost. Its fruit crop and branched form suit a sheltered edible garden.