Within the grounds of the Yat-Sen’s Memorial Hall Park in Guangzhou were the most majestic mature figs and these are the ancient and celebrated trees of Guangzhou City. They are none other than Ficus microcarpa from the Moraceae family and are in excess of 150 years of age. They are protected trees within the city and the moto is that ‘Protecting Trees Is Everyone’s Responsibility’.
You can see from the images that the aerial roots come down from the canopy and re-root in the ground so some of the trees take over large areas of ground. These trees are vital for the provision of shade in the city and they were in great demand during our time for aiding with staying out of direct sunlight and trying to find somewhere slightly cooler in the heat of the day. They are majestic trees with old wounds, narled branches and amazing buttresses and trunk. In some locations in the canopies newly emerging aerial roots have been protected using bamboo to aid with their development. We also saw some good examples of bracing, propping and supporting used on some of the larger specimens within the park.
You can see how these trees are great inspiration for the creation on Ficus as bonsai and in a climate like Guangzhou in China, aerial root development is not a problem, likewise good trunk development and ramification. During researching Ficus microcarpa I can across a great article about Ficus on the Flora of China website, click here for the PDF: Ficus
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