Get a grip on strangler figs
The shade tree makes an attractive addition to any setting, but survives by choking the life out of its garden companions
- Published: 19/06/2011 at 03:36 AM
- Newspaper section: Brunch
When I was in college, my class went on a tour of Malacanang Palace, the seat of the Philippine government and the official residence of the country's president. I still remember being impressed by the stately rooms, the historic collections, and the opulent chandeliers in the banquet room, but what awed me most was an imposing tree at the main entrance of the palace.
HOSTILE TAKEOVER: This ‘Ficus altissima’ may have started life as a strangler fig.
It was a Ficus tree locally known as balete, and I still have photographs of my friends and me posing with a palace guard in his resplendent uniform beside it.
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About the author
- Writer: Normita Thongtham
- Position: Writer
