Strangler Fig: Exotic Tropical Tree
Tara A. Spears
As self-isolation drags into the second month, many people are seeking a brief respite by getting exercise by walking alone outdoors. A stroll around Guayabitos offers lush exotic tropical foliage that includes the Strangler Fig tree. It looks like something from a sci-fi or ho
rror flick but actually all of the Fig tree species benefit the environment. The Strangler Fig is impossible to miss because this soft wood species grows to 50-60 feet (15-20 meters) tall with a 50-60 foot wide crown spread.
The Jaltemba Bay area is home to several species of the tropical family Moraceae, a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, (air plants) and hemi epiphytes (plant that spends a portion of its life cycle on another plant), which are collectively known as Fig Trees. Two species are plentiful in our area, the stunning Ficus insipida which has buttress roots and the bizarre Strangler Fig, Ficus Aurea.
According to figtree.org, the life cycle of the strangler fig begins when a bird deposits a tiny sticky seed onto the branch of a tree high in the canopy of a tropical rain forest. The seedling develops into an epiphyte, which gains all its nutrients from the surrounding environment
without having any roots in the ground. As time passes, the plant grows, sending out ‘air roots’ towards the ground, which collect moisture from the air as they race towards the forest floor. Once the roots complete their journey, the plant begins to send a network of air roots around the host trees trunk, thus strangling the tree.
While the roots are getting established in the canopy the plant is quickly growing bushy growths above the host tree. Within a few years the Strangler Fig succeeds in blocking out the sunlight. The combined effect of cutting out resources from the ground and dominating the sunlight from above eventually kills the host tree. As the host tree rots it leaves a hollow center which the fig tree fills in. This entire process takes between 80 to 150 years.
One benefit of the Strangler Fig tree is that they provide food. Fig trees are considered a keystone species due both their abundant food sources (they bear fruit many times a year), as well as their habit of creating abundant habitat for a multitude of forest animals.
Another way that the Ficus trees benefit the environment-whether in the jungle or in your home- is because it cleans the air of harmful stuff. According to NASA’s Clean Air Study, which was designed to find ways to clean the air in sealed space stations, plants can be effective to absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen into the air, and remove pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. These chemicals can cause irritation to the skin, ears, eyes, nose, and throat, as well as some cancers, according to the EPA. Outdoors the Strangler fig benefits the atmosphere. 
Even if you’re usually more of a beach person, take time to appreciate the unique vegetation that makes Jaltemba Bay soy beautiful. These trees beg to be painted or photographed; the Stranger Fig writhing up into the heavens endures century after century. In this frightening time, one can appreciate nature’s tenacity and strength.
