Banyan

Banyan: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright small tree with a single trunk; 1.5–2.5 m tall indoors and up to 1.2 m wide.

Leaves

Oval to broadly elliptic, 10–20 cm long, leathery, green with conspicuous pale green veins; young leaves finely hairy.

Trunk

Pale grey and smooth; young shoots finely hairy.

Aerial roots

In the wild they hang down from the branches and become new trunks; indoors it rarely forms them.

Latex

A wound releases white milky sap that can irritate the skin.

Plants: March–April · Pruning: March–April

Why grow it?

• A stately indoor tree with large, leathery leaves: an eye-catcher in a bright room.
• Tough and fairly forgiving, as long as it gets enough light.
• Grows steadily and is easy to keep in shape by pruning.
• The pale veins and velvety young leaves give it a character of its own.
• Evergreen all year round.

Banyan: where does it grow best?

• Plenty of light, ideally close to a window with a few hours of morning or evening sun. Fierce midday sun behind glass can scorch the leaves.
• Room temperature, 18–24 °C; never below 12 °C. No draughts and no cold windowpane.
• Choose a permanent spot: moving it often costs a few leaves. Do turn the pot a quarter turn now and then so it grows straight.
• Allow for space: indoors it grows up to 2.5 m tall and 1.2 m wide.
• Out of reach of children and pets.

Light

Sunny or bright, out of direct sun

Potting soil

Multi-purpose compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Watering

Moderately

Size

2.5 m tall, 1.2 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 12 °C

Goes well with

• Bird of paradise: Also a large, stately plant for a bright spot.
• Kentia palm: Graceful palm fronds as a contrast to the bold fig leaves.
• Swiss cheese plant: Another large foliage plant for a tropical corner.
• Snake plant: Low and architectural at the foot of the tree.

Banyan: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Repot in March–April, every 2–3 years or when roots grow out of the pot; a large plant just gets a fresh top layer of compost.
2. Choose a sturdy pot 3–5 cm wider than the old one, with a drainage hole.
3. Use good houseplant compost mixed with a little perlite or fine bark for good drainage.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as before and firm the compost well.
5. Water until it runs out of the bottom and empty the saucer after fifteen minutes.

Care

Water

Let the top 3–5 cm of compost dry out before watering again. Never leave water in the saucer. Less in winter.

Feeding

From April to September, houseplant feed every 2–3 weeks.

Dusting

Wipe the large leaves with a damp cloth now and then: dust blocks light.

Humidity

Ordinary room air is fine; do not put it directly above a radiator.

Turning

Turn the pot a quarter turn every few weeks so it grows straight.

Tip: Give it the brightest spot you have, ideally with a few hours of morning or evening sun, and then do not move it again. Let the top layer of compost dry out and dust the large leaves now and then.

Banyan: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–April.

When: In March–April, when it becomes too tall or if you want it to grow bushier.

How:

• Cut off the top or overlong branches just above a leaf or a bud; new side shoots grow from below.
• Prune with sharp, clean secateurs.
• Dab the milky sap that runs from the cut with a damp cloth; it soon dries.
• Use the removed tips as cuttings.

Caution: The white milky sap irritates skin and eyes: wear gloves and protect the floor.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Tip cuttings

In May–July, cut tips of 15–20 cm with 2–3 leaves, let the sap dry and put them in moist cutting compost or water at 22–25 °C under plastic. Roots appear after 4–8 weeks.

Air layering

On an older plant: make a small notch in the stem, wrap it in moist sphagnum moss and plastic film. As soon as roots are visible, cut off the top below them and pot it up.

Banyan: how does it get through the winter?

• Indoors all year: it does not tolerate frost and suffers below 12 °C.
• Put it in the brightest spot in the house: in the dark months it needs all the light it can get.
• Water less and do not feed from October to March.
• Away from cold windows, draughts and hot radiators.

Diseases and pests

• Leaf drop: Sudden leaf loss after moving, draughts, cold or too little light. Give it a permanent, bright spot; it usually recovers on its own.
• Root rot: Yellow, drooping leaves and wet compost. Water less and let the compost dry out between waterings.
• Scale insects: Brown shells on the veins and stems, with sticky honeydew. Remove them with a cotton bud or small brush and soapy water.
• Red spider mite: Fine webbing and pale speckles in dry air. Rinse the plant off under the shower.
• Mealybug: White fluffy tufts in the leaf axils. Remove with a cotton bud dipped in a little alcohol.

Through the year

• January: Brightest spot. Little water, no feeding.
• March: Repot or cut back.
• April: Prune or repot. Start feeding again.
• May: Feed. Take tip cuttings.
• June: Feed. Dust the leaves.
• July: Feed. Take cuttings. Watch out for red spider mite.
• August: Feed.
• September: Last feed of the year.
• October: Water less. Move to the brightest spot.
• December: Little water. Away from cold windows and hot radiators.

Edible and useful

Not edible. The white milky sap of these figs is poisonous and irritant: on the skin it causes redness and itching, in the eyes pain, and anyone who chews it gets an upset mouth, stomach and gut; cats and dogs drool and vomit. The sap contains latex: people who are allergic to latex sometimes react to it too, and dust on the leaves of an indoor fig can also cause allergies. Wear gloves when pruning and taking cuttings, and wash your hands afterwards. Keep the plant out of reach of cats, dogs and small children, and clear up trimmed twigs and fallen leaves. The small fruits are not figs for eating. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• The banyan is the national tree of India.
• In the wild its aerial roots grow down to the ground and become pillars, so that a single tree turns into a whole grove. The most famous specimen, in the botanic garden of Kolkata, covers more than a hectare.
• The name banyan refers to Indian merchants who gathered in the shade of the tree to do business.