Ficus palmata is a deciduous shrub or much-branched small tree growing up to 5 metres tall. The plant is often gathered from the wild for its edible fruits and young shoots. It is often cultivated for its fruit in India and Ethiopia and has been recommended for commercial cultivation
A plant of the warm temperate to subtropical zones, also found at higher elevations of 1,000 metres or more in the tropics.
Requires a well-drained medium to light loam and some lime rubble incorporated into the soil. A heavy wet soil tends to encourage excessive plant growth at the expense of fruit.
The Ficus palmata trees grow at altitudes of 1500 feet and their wood is used to make decorative items, hoops and garlands. The fruits contain a small amount of vitamin C, and the minerals, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, iron and manganese, so are a healthy source of free food and a source of income for the poor who pick them to sell at local bazaars, however, like the edible buds of the kachnar tree, they are only in season for about 4 weeks every year.
