The Ficus Alii tree, or Amstel King as it is sometimes called, is a large plant that originally came from Asia, Malaysia, and India. The Ficus Alii was first grown commercially in Hawaii where it got the Hawaiian name “alii” which means “king.”
Although a Ficus alii is closely related to the Ficus benjamina, the Alii variety is much more tolerant and forgiving; it rarely sheds leaves, tolerates lower light, and allows you to move it around without going into shock. Ficus alii does grows about 25% slower than a Ficus benjamina. The leaves of Ficus alii are quite different than those of the usual ficus trees we are familiar with. The leaves are medium green, long (3″-10”), narrow, willow-like, and thick. The newer King Alii ficus plants have wider leaves than the original Ficus alii trees. New growth is a pretty reddish-bronze color until the leaves mature to natural green color. If you want a ficus tree in your home or office, Ficus alii is a great alternative to the finicky Ficus benjamina. These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children.
