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An Exotic
World of Plants

The Plants
of the Palm House

Ficus maclellandii ’Alii’

English Name: Alii fig tree/Banana leaf fig tree

Latin name:  Ficus maclellandii ‘Alii’

Family: Fig - Moraceae

Origin: Under cultivation at the Palm House

The Ficus maclellandii  is a fig species native to India, China and parts of southeast Asia. The leaves, 8 to 13 cm. long, are dimorphic: narrow on the lower parts of the tree, and wider in the upper branches.

 The “Alii” or banana leaf cultivar was selected in Hawaii, where its leaves reach lengths of up to 25 cm. The plant grows up to 3 metres tall. Its nodding leaves give the tree a weeping habit. The Alii fig is grown as a potted plant and is suitable as a decoration for large rooms.

Ficus maclellandii ’Alii’