Ficus sinuata aka String Of Frogs

Ficus sinuata is a woody plant in the mulberry family. This family also bears the name Moraceae. Its native range runs from Assam to western Malesia. Records place it in northeast India, Myanmar, and Thailand. They also place it in Malaysia and Indonesia. Kew classes its climate as wet tropical. It grows in forests that do not get too dry. Much of its habitat lies in the forest undergrowth. Sources give two upper limits for the height of its habitat. These are 4,921 feet [1,500 metres] and 5,906 feet [1,800 metres].

Its form ranges from a sprawling shrub to a small tree. Kew also lists it as a climbing shrub. Its branches droop, while its stem stays short. It often grows as an epiphyte: it uses another plant for support. Roots clasp that plant and help it hold on. The source lists a height of 13 feet [4 metres]. Its full account gives a maximum of 20 feet [6 metres]. These figures do not show its usual size in gardens. The evidence gives no mature width. Nor does it describe the leaves in detail.

The orange-red figs grow where leaves meet the stem. They are almost round, about 0.4 inches [1 centimetre] across. Most groups hold two to six figs. Local people gather fruit from plants in the wild. They eat it raw, and the source says it tastes good. This listed use covers fruit, not other plant parts. The source reports no known hazards. This does not prove that all plant parts are safe. Nor does it prove safety for pets.

Useful Tropical Plants says wasps pollinate this species. This means they bring pollen to its flowers. The page also explains that fig flowers grow inside the fig. It describes male flowers and two types of female flower. Female wasps bring pollen as they lay eggs inside. Young wasps then emerge, and females take pollen onward. This account covers figs as a group, not this species alone. It gives no months when Ficus sinuata flowers.

The source records wild fruit gathering, not use as a garden plant. It lists seed as the means to grow new plants. The evidence gives no tested plan for garden care. It gives no hardiness rating or specific pest and disease records. Its damp forest home gives some clues about its needs. But it does not tell us how much to water. The source records no use as medicine or any other use.