Ficus pumila aka Creeping Fig . This made a great plant for my birdcage planter.

My Aquarium Needs Replanted – Move Creeping Fig to Birdcage Planter

Not too longer ago, I converted an Aquarium into a terrarium and that has really grown significantly. In fact, the Creeping Fig that I planted in there has staged a coup and taken over as the dominant plant. Those tendrils and branches are all over the bottom, not to mention the roots which have blanketed the whole soil bed.

The Aquarium_Terrarium growing too tall

I figured it was time for an intervention.

I had picked up a cute small birdcage at a garage sale and I thought this would make a great small planter for the Creeping Fig. Trailing branches hanging down from the sides would be great and perhaps they would also vine up into the framework of the cage too. As it happens, it made a pretty nice little hanging planter and you have already seen her in one of the earlier videos. One of the videos where I was misting the plants with my multi-purpose sprayer.

Creeping Figs Are Great Cascaders

These plants are grown as topiaries so we know that they would be great cascaders. I wanted the Creeping Fig to blanket the bottom of the terrarium and it did. But now that I am reading a little more about the plant, I found that the Ficus’s “root structures are designed for aggressive and spreading growth.”  OMG, is this the same type of plant that swallows buildings and other trees and plants. Have you seen those roots? Those are a type of Fig called Ficus benghalensis from India and it is well known for the growth of its roots.

Ficus in Cambodia

I would love to see one of these for real. How awesome is THAT? Here is a short video that I took of the transplanting. Again it was a time I was by myself and it would have been so much better to have someone with me to film.

Creeping Fig - Out of Terrarium & Into A Cage!

As you can see in the video, I took that Creeping Fig out but she sure put up a struggle. Her roots were so matted and spread into that soil that I thought I would tear everything all up. When I had her loose, I trimmed the roots somewhat and then got her replanted. Comparatively, the new pot is really small for her. I would if these roots will come growing over the side of the pot, reaching for the ground? Just kidding!

Are the roots agressive on a little creeping fig?

And now we have the new Aquarium/Terrarium replanted plus the Creeping Fig in the birdcage. Let’s  see how it goes for the Creeping Fig on the screened porch for now, but I may transplant her into something larger to bring her inside for the winter.

Thanks for reading!

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