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FIG

Ficus spp.
Ficus spp. of the family Moraceae. There are at least 330 Ficus species and at least 130 of them have fig as all or part of one or more of their common names (some of these might be synonyms --- I haven't checked yet). Most of them are native to South America, a few to South Africa, and a few to Asia. I have no idea which of them might be grown in North America.

my samples: NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K) colors will vary under other lighting conditions

both sides of a sample plank of weeping fig / Ficus benjamina --- HUGE enlargements are present.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of weeping fig / Ficus benjamina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Java fig / Ficus benjamina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of sycamore fig / Ficus sycomorus --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of sycamore fig / Ficus sycomorus --- HUGE enlargements are present.


end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above. Note that the pink tint in the end grain is NOT a true wood color but is caused by the particular type of 1200 grit sandpaper I used on this piece. The sample dirctly above this one, which was very likely made from the same plank as this one, has the correct color.


both sides of a sample plank of Florida strangler fig / Ficus aurea --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Florida strangler fig / Ficus aurea --- HUGE enlargements are present. The different color on the 2 faces is correct, although I don't know WHY they are different. Age patina on one, I suppose.


end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above


both sides of a sample plank of banyan (Indian wild fig) / Ficus benghalensis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of fig / Ficus spp. --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above. The pink tint on the end grain closeup is not a true wood color but rather an artifact of the 1200 grit sandpaper I used.


both sides of a sample plank of sandpaper fig / Ficus molis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Peruvian fig / Ficus macbridei --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above


both sides of a sample plank of fig / Ficus spp. --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above

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both sides of a sample plank of sung di / Ficus lacor --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. NOTE: this sample is not called fig, it is "sung di" from Vietnam, but it is a Ficus species and has characteristics very close to that of fig, plus I have no where else on the site to put it so rather than leave it off, I've put it on this page.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

web pics:

amatillo fig / Ficus padifolia


Chinese banyan fig / Ficus microcarpa


cluster fig / Ficus racemosa


Malayan fig / Ficus subcordata


Morton Bay fig / Ficus macrophylla


rubber tree fig / Ficus elastica


rusty fig / Ficus rubiginosa


plank listed as sacred fig / Ficus carica, BUT ... that does not comport with my own research which says that Ficus carica does NOT use the name sacred fig, a name that is only associated with the species Ficus religiosa. Ficus carica uses several common names including fig, common fig, cultivated fig, edible fig, and sugar fig


Nicaraguan fig / Ficus glaucescens


red fig / Ficus spp.


planks listed as cultivated fig / Ficus carica


plank listed as French fig / Ficus carica


berkuang / Ficus fistula --- this species does not use the name fig but it is a Ficus and has similar characteristics to the figs so I've put it here.


veneer listed as forrest fig / Ficus exasperata


pen turned from fig / Ficus subcordata. Photograph contributed to the site by the pen turner, Bruce Selyem, whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. The pen is finished with shellwax.


two views of a fig bowl and then another fig bowl. The color on all 3 of these images was so massively over-saturated that I toned it down quite a bit to make the representations more realistic.