Plant Care Guide for the Ficus Pumila (Creeping Fig)

The ficus pumila is a plant more commonly called creeping fig. It’s earned this latter moniker because it’s a climbing, vine-like plant whose suction-like properties enable it to cling to a wall and grow upward. Able to thrive in hardiness zones 8 and above, this plant does need some wire support to properly train it to climb in the manner you’d like. It can cover the average wall in about two to three years, depending on the fertility of the soil. While its juvenile leaves are bright green, mature leaves tend to be darker and protrude from vertical branches. Because of this, routine pruning is a must to keep the plant looking its vibrant best.

Cool Name, Cooler Plant

Ficus pumila is the name that science has given this wall-climbing member of the ficus family. However, its common name, creeping fig, is not only way cooler, it’s one of the coolest common monikers in the plant kingdom. It’s also one of the coolest plants you can grow at home.

The evergreen plant is marked by delicate, heart-shaped leaves that grow roughly two to four inches long. They can produce small fig fruits along the way, but they’re rarely visible and never edible. They’re planted in the ground and almost exclusively against a wall or flat surface, where its suction cup-like vines will quickly cling to and cover as it matures.

The creeping fig is an excellent choice for any gardener that has an eyesore of a wall, fence, or structure that’s in need of concealing. It conducts its coverage rather efficiently – if you’re tending to its needs, it will cover your average wall within two to three years. It’s also fun to watch it proliferate on the structure during this time

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