Spotted Leaf Fig

Scientific name: Ficus citrifolia

POWO Status: Tree

IUCN Red List threat level: Not Evaluated

GPS Location: 17° 42′ 57.17″ N, 64° 49′ 50.73″ W

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Observations:

Phenological Markers – Ficus citrifolia

Common Name: Shortleaf Fig, Wild Fig, Florida Strangler Fig
Scientific Name: Ficus citrifolia Mill.
Family: Moraceae

According to a 2004 forest inventory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Ficus citrifolia is listed under common names such as “wild fig,” “strangler fig,” “shortleaf fig,” and notably “spotted leaf fig” USFS Research & Development.

Leaf Phenology

  • Leaf Type: Simple, alternate, ovate to elliptical with smooth or slightly wavy margins; glossy green
  • Evergreen/Semi-deciduous: Evergreen in humid tropical conditions; semi-deciduous in drier climates or during drought
  • Leaf Flush: New leaf growth occurs multiple times per year, often after rainfall or fruiting
  • Senescence: Older leaves gradually yellow and fall year-round; more leaf drop may occur during stress or dry season

Flowering (Syconia Development)

  • Flower Type: Tiny, enclosed within a fig (syconium); not externally visible
  • Pollination: Obligate mutualism with fig wasps (Pegoscapus sp.) that enter through the fig’s opening (ostiole) to pollinate internal flowers
  • Phenological Indicator: Appearance of green immature figs, often clustered along branches or in leaf axils; pollination occurs inside the fig
  • Flowering Period: Year-round, with multiple overlapping fruiting cycles common

Fruiting

  • Fruit Type: Fleshy fig (syconium), small (1–2 cm), turns from green to reddish-orange or purplish when mature
  • Fruit Development: Matures in 4–6 weeks after pollination; figs often produced in large numbers
  • Dispersal: Birds, bats, and other animals
  • Phenological Indicator: Visible clusters of ripening figs on twigs and branches; color change from green to red/purple indicates maturity

Suggested Photo Angles

  • Full tree form (note: may start as epiphyte or strangler)
  • Close-up of leaves, especially new flush and mature form
  • Clusters of green and ripening figs along branches or trunk
  • Leaf senescence (yellowing or shedding)
  • Habitat context (e.g., growing around host or as freestanding tree)

Notes for Monitoring

Watch for wasp exit holes on older figs as a subtle indicator of pollination success

Ficus citrifolia plays a key ecological role as a keystone species in tropical forests, providing food for wildlife nearly year-round

Because figs are produced frequently and asynchronously, monitor fig presence, ripening stages, and associated wildlife activity

Leaf flush, fig production, and leaf drop can overlap, offering rich year-round phenological data

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