# Banyan (Ficus benghalensis)

> The national tree of India, an evergreen fig to around 30 m whose branches drop aerial roots that thicken into extra trunks, so one tree can spread over hectares (the Great Banyan in Kolkata is the most famous). It shades village meetings, markets and temples and feeds birds, bats and monkeys with its red figs. It starts life as an epiphyte and can kill its host and wreck buildings, so it belongs only in large open spaces.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/ficus-benghalensis · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Indian banyan, Bargad, Vata
- Family: Moraceae
- Type: Broadleaf evergreen
- Mature height: 25 m; spread 40 m
- Growth: Fast growing; lives about 500 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 10 to 12
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Low water
- Soil: Clay, loam or sand of neutral pH with good drainage; tolerant of most soils
- Native range: Native to the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Laccadives); planted throughout the tropics.

**Benefits:** Shade, Birds, Wildlife, Long lived, Drought tolerant, Fast canopy

**Good for:** parks, Yard shade

**Watch out for:** Large roots, Surface roots, Heavy litter, Invasive elsewhere

## Care

Plant far from structures, drains and paving; minimal watering once established and it tolerates drought. No pruning beyond removing hazardous limbs; aerial roots can be guided or cut. Sap irritates skin. Mealybugs, scale and spider mites are minor. In Florida it is noted as a serious weed though not on the FISC list.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Bangladesh; India (National tree of India); Sri Lanka; Nepal; Pakistan
- **Adapted:** QLD, Australia (Introduced per WCVP); Myanmar (Burma) (Introduced per WCVP); FL, United States (Introduced; NC State Extension notes it is a serious weed in Florida but it is not on the FISC 2025 list)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ficus-benghalensis/
- https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Ficus_benghalensis.PDF
- https://www.gbif.org/species/5361919