Ficus deltoidea

Mistletoe Fig Tree

 

Conestoga House & Gardens, 1608 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster PA

 

David Kantner

 

Native to Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Java, Borneo), this is the only ficus that will produce fruit indoors. Male and female plants are physically distinctive, with the leaves of females being more oval. The Conestoga specimen appears female.

 

This amazing species has supported — through its leaves, fruits, stems, and roots — traditional medicinal treatments for diabetes, postpartum depression, menstrual cycle regulation, high blood pressure, and as an aphrodisiac for women as well as men; some, not all, of these uses have been supported by scientific research.