Which fig have you got?
Australia has about 40 native Ficus species, most of them in the tropics. The ones people ask us about are the big spreading natives, mainly the Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla) and the Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa), and the edible fig grown for its fruit.
The natives are giants. The Australian Native Plants Society puts a Moreton Bay fig at 15 to 35 metres high with a similar spread, often on a buttressed trunk (one flared wide at the base). In the wild it's a strangler: the seed sprouts in a host tree's canopy and sends roots down until it envelops the host. As street trees, the City of Sydney expects 20 to 25 m from a Moreton Bay and 15 to 20 m from a Port Jackson fig.
We couldn't find a reliable height for the edible fig, so we've left it out. Hedge, street and indoor figs such as the weeping fig have their own page: ficus.
Where do big figs cause trouble?
Mostly underground. The Native Plants Society says a Moreton Bay fig shouldn't be planted in the ground in a normal suburban garden, because its vigorous roots can damage pavements and house foundations. Bundaberg Regional Council lists all figs among the trees it doesn't recommend near sewer pipes.
Then there's the spread. A tree that grows about as wide as it's tall ends up over the roof, the fence and the neighbour's yard.
And decay can hide where you can't see it. City of Sydney arborists drill-tested the base of a Moreton Bay fig and found hidden rot that had spread into its supporting roots, so the tree was removed. If an old fig starts dropping more wood or the ground around it changes, have it looked at.
What can I prune on a fig myself?
You can
- Prune an edible fig in winter, while it's dormant (resting). Gardening Australia says that's a good time because it won't disturb the tree's growth.
- Stick to branches you can reach standing on the ground, with secateurs, loppers or a small pruning saw.
- Cut just outside the branch collar, the swelling where a branch joins a bigger one, rather than flush or leaving a stub.
- Rake up dropped fruit, and take dated photos of any paving or walls you think the roots are lifting.
Leave to an arborist
- Pruning a Moreton Bay, Port Jackson or other big native fig beyond the lowest twigs.
- Cutting roots near paths, pipes or the house, which can unsettle the tree and may need council consent.
- Testing an old fig for decay at the base.
- Taking a fig down, and grinding out the buttressed stump.
Is my fig protected?
Quite often, and big figs are named on council lists. Schedule 2 of Brisbane's Natural Assets Local Law, as consolidated in 2013, lists fig trees with a trunk 100 cm or more across, measured 1.4 m above natural ground, as significant landscape trees. Brisbane City Council asks for an AQF Level 5 (consulting arborist) report to support work on one.
Single trees get registered too. Ipswich's Vegetation Protection Order register includes a Port Jackson fig in Goodna, Bayside's significant tree register lists a Moreton Bay fig on Bay Street, Brighton, Mildura's heritage overlay names the Moreton Bay figs in Douglas and Chaffey Avenues, and Mosman's register includes the Balmoral Figs.
Before a big cut, root work or removal, find your council on our tree removal permits page and get its answer in writing.
Fig trees: what to do next
With an edible fig, we'd keep it to a height you can reach from the ground and give it a light prune each winter. With a big native fig near the house, we'd have an arborist look at the roots and the base before anyone cuts anything, then take that advice to the council, because whether it can come down usually depends on both.
Want an arborist to look at it?
Tell us the job and your postcode, and a local arborist calls you to talk it through.