Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Tree
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Ilex glabra, Ilex crenata, Ilex verticillata
Ficus benjamina
Number of Varieties
3800
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Lowland, Mountains, Subtropical climates, Suburban areas
Temperate Regions, tropical environments, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
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
Oval or Rounded
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm2,440.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm3,050.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
-
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Yellow, Red, Green, Pink, Orange Red, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, Layering
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shape and thin as needed
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
10-10-10, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Any balanced general purpose fertilizer, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds
Allergy
-
Rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bonsai, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Reduce Bruises
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea
Container
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
ILEX glabra
FICUS benjamina
Common Name
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Silberstein American Pokeweed
Weeping Fig, Benjamin's fig, Ficus tree
In Hindi
Inkberry
रो अंजीर
In German
Inkberry
Birkenfeige
In French
Inkberry
figuier pleureur
In Spanish
Inkberry
higo llorón
In Greek
Inkberry
κλάμα σύκο
In Portuguese
Inkberry
chorando fig
In Polish
inkberry
płacz rys
In Latin
Inkberry
Plorans ficum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Aquifoliales
Urticales
Family
Phytolaccaceae
Moraceae
Genus
Ilex
Ficus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Ficeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
600850
1
27800
👆🏻