Can anyone help identify this tree from a photograph? It has just recently died and I am trying to replace it. Thanks!
any chance of a close up of the leaf and the leaf structure? Can't wuite see it well enough from here...
A Ficus? Hi Flemming, If I knew my tropical trees a little better, I might be able to tell you what it is, but as it stands, I’m a little shaky with telling one from another. I’m going to guess that it may well be a Ficus of some sort, but probably not Ficus bejamina. If you go to some of the nurseries around town (including jimmyq’s), you’re bound to see a number of interesting trees that could take the place of the one you lost. But first it would be a good idea to determine what killed it. Here are a few questions that might help It appears to be planted in a sunken container in the floor. Does this container have any type of drainage? Ideally this sort of interior landscaping should have proper drain pans connected to the plumbing stack. A sealed container with just a little gravel in the bottom is not adequate. Were harsh cleaners used on the floor? And could these chemicals have been spilled into the container? Some floor cleaners can kill anything. Does the floor get cold in the winter? If so, the slab underneath may have kept the roots too cold, and that may have made the tree susceptible to root rot. If none of the above problems are present, and no one else comes up with something I may have missed, then it’s time to look for a new tree with confidence. A favourite of mine is Ficus binnendijkii ‘Alii’, which is generally quite tolerant of indoor conditions. There are also a number of new cultivars being introduced, like Ficus binnendijkii ‘Amstel King’ that are probably just as suitable to indoor landscaping.
The tree is likely Bucida buceras, the so called "black olive", also known as "gregorywood" and "oxhorn bucida". This tree is a member of the Combretaceae (a tropical, primarily African plant family) and native to the Caribbean region, including the upper Florida Keys. It performs well indoors, particularly in well-lit shopping centres. Bucida is not well known in commerce and appears to be seldom photographed (but see links below). The Institute for Systematic Botany website a commercial nursery site
Thanks! You are exactly right! I just managed to find one in town c/o Burnaby Lake Nurseries which handle tropical plants. Once again, thanks!
As I said, I’m not great with tropical trees, so I’m glad Douglas could give you a proper ID. But if you don’t find out what killed the tree in the first place, you may have to replace it again soon. Now would be a good time to find out what sort of drainage there is etc. while you have the tree out of the container.
