question about the type of tree i might have

[noeg86]

445446447

please help. i need to know what type of tree this is before planting it on my backyard. i need to know how big would it grow, or if the roots could damage my blocks wall, which is about 10 feet away from where i am planning to plant it.

thanks in advance!

[Chris]

I'm not sure what it is, but 10 feet is good enough space for almost all trees. It'd take decades to threaten it even then.

[Bernie_P]

If you got them locally, try a local horticulturist as they’re likely wll-informed about that type of tree.

[Charm Dreier]

HI Noeg86,

That tree is a Ficus benjamina, in the rubber tree family. It secretes a white sap when cut that is a skin irritant to some people.

This tree is typically used as an indoor house plant. They are extremely finicky and tend to drop all their leaves if the weather changes, they catch a draft, etc. I have seen them successfully growing outside but only in one instance, and it was in a fairly warm and not windy neighborhood in San Francisco. So, it depends on where you live. I would say if you live in the south, you may have outdoor success with it; otherwise, keep it in it's pot in sunny location inside your house, in an area not prone to drafts.

The one I saw growing outside has been there for years and is still the same size as yours. It only got bushy but not tall. I have seen them grow 30' tall inside a building in in-ground planting beds (as opposed to pots) in the foyer windows of a sunny building.

Good luck! I see this post is almost 2 years-- I would love to know if the tree survived outside, or what happened to it!

Thanks, Charm Dreier