07 November 2012

Moreton Bay ... or Port Jackson?

Fig trees grow huge ... how huge?  REALLY HUGE.  Like this one at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.  I can't be sure which of the two it is though.  Anyone?

See what's going on up there; a guy (arborist),  has been pruning some dangerous limbs.  Chain saw had been buzzing when I walked nearby.


..it's reminding me of the folk in the Faraway Tree (and my Enid Blyton reading days).  How miniscule the guy up top appears in the depths of that big ole' tree.  Wonder had you spotted him?

How many years old???


Another addition:  The Garden Information Officer, Simon Goodwin replied "the tree is a Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla).  All the flat land in this area was reclaimed from the sea between 1848 and 1878 so it was planted after that but no exact date is known".  

21 comments:

Joop Zand said...

WOW....thats an old one....maybe 100 years ?

GREETINGS, JOOP

TexWisGirl said...

my goodness! absolutely fascinating! impressive ancient one!

Jeanne said...

This is such an amazing size tree. I wonder how old it IS??

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Wow! That is one huge tree! The guy looks so tiny up there.

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

That tree is a little boy's dream tree.

Horst in Edmonton said...

What a beautiful huge big old tree. Wish we had trees like this around Edmonton Canada.

Filip and Kristel said...

What a tree, about 170 years old.

Greetings,
Filip

Jane said...

What a beauty Carole! Giant limbs, arms outstretched, armpits, folds. So full of life and so well loved.

Roy said...

That is massive Carole.

LindyLouMac said...

Goodness me I have never ever seen such a huge fig tree before, incredible.

Jan Castle said...

Now that's a BIG tree!!!!!
TFS Carole!
Paper Hugs,
Jan

Les fous du cap said...

Hi !
Beautiful tree
CĂ©line & Philippe

London Caller said...

Wow, I reckon that's at least 500 years old!!!

Deanna said...

That is one huge tree, and so much character. Thanks for sharing!!

diane b said...

No i didn't notice the guy in the huge tree. Wow that is one old old tree. Big and beautiful.

Stewart M said...

They really do grow to some sort of size - we have a lot of "big and old" figs in the Botanic Gardens here as well.

Thanks for the comment on my blog - I've been in Oman for a week hence slow reply!

Cheers - Stewart M - Australia

Seraphinas Phantasie said...

An awesome tree and wonderful photos of them. Great work ! I love trees... Thank you very much.

Judy said...

Wow! When you say it is a big tree, you mean it!! I did not see the worker in the first photo, but he sure does put the tree into perspective!

Micha S. said...

The trea ist absolutely fabulous, it reminding me of Avatar :-)

Have a nice Day
Micha

Julie said...

Carole: the two are easily distinguished should you see them side-by-side. They are both all over Sydney.

The Moreton Bay Fig has this multi-pronged base with massive buttress roots, and develops the 'aerial roots' that drop down and root within the drip zone to maintain stability.

The Port Jackson Fig has a less complex trunk with fewer buttress roots, and can often be found with no aerial roots at all, being somewhat smaller than the MB fig.

Liz said...

I thought it was a Moreton bay Fig... so many of them up here!!