The Ficus benjamina is the uncrowned queen among the Ficus species. Lovingly cared for, it reaches impressive heights as an evergreen ornamental tree in living spaces. Nevertheless, the birch fig is often referred to as Benjamini because it stands out with a dense dress of small decorative leaves. The following selection presents you with successful varieties of the magnificent fig species.
Which Ficus Benjamini varieties are there?
Popular Ficus Benjamini species include green-leaved varieties such as 'Danielle', 'Reginald' and 'Exotica' as well as colorful-leaved varieties such as 'Twilight', 'Golden King' and 'Natasja'. They differ in leaf color, growth habit and location requirements and create a lively atmosphere in living rooms and offices.
Green-leaved Benjamini varieties
With a green-leaved Benjamini, the unique rainforest atmosphere is within your grasp. The following varieties also give dim niches and low-light locations in living rooms and offices a pleasant, green liveliness:
- Danielle delights us all year round with dark green, matt shiny decorative leaves
- Reginald causes a sensation with green, marbled leaves and slightly wavy edges
- Exotica creates a dense, lush green foliage in a bright, not full sun location
With a Ficus benjamina 'Ginseng' you get the birch fig already ready to use as a bonsai. This saves the time-consuming cultivation of a cutting, so that you can immediately present the mini tree on the partially shaded windowsill or the summer balcony. With its green, shimmering leaves and a rustic, winding trunk, this Benjamini attracts everyone's attention.
Benjamini variety with small trunk
Training the birch fig into a standard tree is usually reserved for the expert hands of the master gardener. With the 'Jute' variety you are purchasing a Benjamini that stands out with a jute-wrapped trunk and a well-shaped crown. Of course, the little beauty only stays at its delivery height of 30 to 40 cm if it is cut regularly.
variegated Benjamini varieties
Evergreen growth does not mean that a birch fig does without color accents. The following varieties delight with their subtle play of colors, which can safely do without a flower:
- Twilight impresses with light green leaves, decorated with a creamy white edge
- Golden King boasts green, gold-yellow variegated foliage
- Natasja is recommended with a bushy, graceful silhouette for small apartments and offices
Tip
In the trade, the birch fig (Ficus benjamina) and the rubber tree (Ficus elastica) are often lumped together. In fact, they are two different species within the fig family (Ficus). The leaves of the birch fig are much more delicate. In contrast, the rubber tree scores with red leaf sheaths when sprouting, which fall off when the leaf unfolds.
