Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
Middle Africa
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Perennial Grass
Ficus benjamina
Number of Varieties
15800
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Temperate Regions, tropical environments, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-10
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 13, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm2,440.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm3,050.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Red, Green, Pink, Orange Red, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Cuttings, Layering
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Water carefully
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
10-10-10, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Any balanced general purpose fertilizer, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Birds
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bonsai, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Reduce Bruises
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Bark, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Container
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
FICUS benjamina
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Weeping Fig, Benjamin's fig, Ficus tree
In Hindi
हाथी घास
रो अंजीर
In German
Elefantengras
Birkenfeige
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
figuier pleureur
In Spanish
pasto elefante
higo llorón
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
κλάμα σύκο
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
chorando fig
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
płacz rys
In Latin
elephanti herba
Plorans ficum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Urticales
Family
Poaceae
Moraceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Ficus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
Ficeae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
1850
1
27800
👆🏻