Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Indian Laurel Ficus Tree
Indian Laurel Ficus is a big evergreen shade tree with glossy dark green leaves and smooth gray bark. It is a common shade tree in Valley neighborhoods, planted for very dense shade all year. With regular water it grows fast and takes Valley summer heat. Grow it out as a full canopy tree for a large yard or courtyard, or shear it into a tall formal hedge.
Best for: dense year-round shade over a big yard or courtyard, and a tall formal hedge or screen sheared to the shape you want.
Grown out as a full tree it makes very dense shade that holds through winter. Plan for a canopy about 30 to 40 feet wide, often as wide as the tree is tall.
It takes shearing well and is widely used for tall formal hedges and screens. For a hedge, plant about 3 to 5 feet apart and trim to the height you want.
It does best in big open yards and large courtyards with room to spread. Deep, slow watering in open ground helps push the roots down.
Its roots grow near the surface and can lift paving, so it struggles near pools, patios and the house. Hard freezes can brown the leaves. Hot reflective west walls can scald the trunk, and thrips can curl the new leaves.
- Tight hedge row3 ft apart
- Looser screen row5 ft apart
For the first two weeks, water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Ease to about weekly in summer by the second month. Keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years.
Deep watering keeps its roots from spreading at the surface. Once rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter. Water at the drip line, not the trunk.
Take off the nursery stake at planting. Stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball with soft, wide ties, and remove them after about a year.
Prune in late winter, from about February to March, and raise the canopy slowly as it grows. Avoid summer pruning, which exposes bark to sunburn. Keep the trunk shaded on hot west sides.
It can be damaged below about 25°F. Cover young trees with frost cloth on freeze nights. If frost browns the leaves, wait until frost danger passes, about March, before cutting off the dead growth.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does an Indian laurel ficus tree get?
Grown out as a tree it can reach 30 to 60 feet tall, and old trees can get taller. The canopy is often as wide as the tree is tall, about 30 to 40 feet or more.
How fast does Indian laurel ficus grow?
It is a fast grower with regular water. That speed is a big part of why it is planted for shade and screening.
Can the roots damage a pool, patio or sidewalk?
Yes, they can. It grows a wide mat of roots near the surface that can lift paving, and light, shallow watering keeps them near the surface. It does best in open ground with room, away from pools, patios and the house. Long, deep soaks help push the roots deeper.
How often should I water an Indian laurel ficus?
It is not a low-water tree. Once established, give it a deep soak about every 7 to 14 days in summer and water less often in winter. New trees need water more often for their first few years.
How cold hardy is Indian laurel ficus?
Leaves can burn at around 24 to 27°F. A few nights in the low 20s can brown the whole tree. Young and newly planted trees are the most tender, so cover them on the coldest nights.
My ficus froze. When should I prune it?
Wait until frost danger has passed, about the end of February or into March. The dead growth protects the live wood from more cold. Established trees usually leaf back out, then you can cut back to live wood.
Can a ficus trunk get sunburned?
Yes. The smooth gray bark can scald on a hot west side with reflected heat. Heavy pruning in summer can also burn bark that was shaded before, so do big cuts outside the hottest months.
Can I grow it as a hedge?
Yes. It takes shearing well and can be trimmed almost any time of year. For a hedge, plant about 3 to 5 feet apart. The Spacing tab lays it out.
Why are my ficus leaves curled and rolled up?
That is usually Cuban laurel thrips. They roll new leaves into tight pods with dark marks from midsummer through fall. The damage is mostly looks. Cutting off the rolled tips in winter cuts down next summer's damage.
Is Indian laurel ficus toxic to pets?
Yes. Ficus is listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The milky sap can also irritate skin.
What is the difference between the ficus tree and the ficus column?
They are the same plant. The column is sheared narrow for a privacy screen. The tree is grown out with a full canopy for shade. Roots, water and frost care are the same.
Where is the best spot to plant it?
Full sun gives the best growth. Avoid hot reflective west walls, where the trunk can scald.
Indian Laurel Ficus Tree for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Indian Laurel Ficus (Ficus microcarpa 'Nitida', often sold as Ficus nitida) is a common evergreen shade tree in Valley neighborhoods. Grown out as a full tree it gives very dense shade all year. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and water to cold, pruning, roots, pests and how it compares to the ficus column.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does Indian laurel ficus get in Phoenix?
Grown out as a tree, Indian laurel ficus can reach 30 to 60 feet tall with a canopy often as wide as it is tall. The little tree you plant grows into a large one. Sheared as a hedge, it can be held at the height you want.
Indian laurel ficus roots: pools, patios and sidewalks
The roots grow near the surface and can lift paving and patios. Light, frequent watering keeps them shallow, while long, deep soaks push them deeper. The tree does best in open ground with room, away from pools, patios and the house.
Will a ficus tree survive a Phoenix freeze?
Established trees usually come through a freeze. Leaves can burn at around 24 to 27°F, and a few nights in the low 20s can brown the whole canopy. Most trees leaf back out in spring. Young trees are the most tender, so cover them on the coldest nights.
When to prune a frost-damaged ficus
Wait until frost danger has passed, about the end of February or into March in the Valley. The brown growth protects the live wood underneath. Then cut out the dead wood.
Why is my ficus trunk sunburned?
Ficus has smooth gray bark that can scald in strong sun. It happens most on hot west sides with reflected heat, and after heavy pruning opens the trunk to summer sun. Keep big cuts out of the hottest months.
How often to water an Indian laurel ficus in Arizona
It is not a low-water tree. Established trees want a deep soak about every 7 to 14 days in summer and less in winter. Water slowly and deeply so the roots grow down, not out across the surface.
Indian laurel ficus tree vs ficus column
Both are the same plant. The column is sheared narrow for privacy along a wall or lot line. The tree is grown out with a full canopy for dense shade and needs far more room.
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