A Focus on Ficus

The old Ficus trees at the main meeting point of the gardens always provide shade and a breeze, and you can find employees sitting under the Ficus trees near the offices, wearing long sleeves even in the summer. In Israel, Ficus trees have received a bad name and there are some who want to get rid of them, but as Ben-Gurion said, ‘There’s no substitute for an ancient tree.’ We present you some facts to change your perspective
(reading time: 3 minutes)

When you enter the main gate of Ramat Hanadiv Gardens, which displays the bronze shield – the Rothschild family crest – and immediately turn right, you reach the ‘meeting point’ under the old, small-leaved figs (Ficus obliqua, one of seven Ficus species growing at Ramat Hanadiv, originating in the Pacific Ocean region).
In the shady corner there are wooden benches (there’s room for 40–50 people, thus the site it highly suited to group meetings). Thanks to the Ficus trees, there is full shade and a breeze even during the hot days of July and August (we’ve checked!). If you want to arrange a meeting in the gardens with friends or family, particularly during the summer – you’re welcome to arrange it here and wait in comfort. Another secret Ficus corner is the one next to the offices. The employees come here each day for a food break wearing long sleeves! ‘It’s hard to believe, but even in the summer, when we sit here to eat lunch, there’s a cool breeze and you really need to wear something long’, says one of the employees.

Don’t believe her? Come to visit and feel the breeze for yourself. By the way, it’s been scientifically proven that although trees reduce the temperature by only a few degrees, moderation of the temperature and heat load are not measured only by degrees Celsius, but by several factors, such as radiation, humidity and wind. Using this weighted index, a shady street can reduce the temperature by up to 18°C.*

moderation of the temperature and heat load are not measured only by degrees Celsius, but by several factors, such as radiation, humidity and wind. Using this weighted index, a shady street can reduce the temperature by up to 18°C

Ficus is not loved by Israelis. ‘Many want to get rid of it because its fruit make a mess, it raises the pavement, invades gardens, and attracts bats’, says Dr. Liat Hadar, landscape architect and director of research at Ramat Hanadiv, ‘but we need to look at it differently, as a tree that creates a space that is an entire world: a refuge and habitat for birds and bats, and for humans – a pleasant, significantly cooler microclimate than the sunny area just a few metres away.’ The characteristic aerial roots of the Ficus also add beauty and character to the special space created by the tree, giving it a sculptured, dramatic look. After the roots lengthen, they take root in the soil and thicken the trunk.

As far back as 60 years ago, Ben-Gurion said that this tree is worth its weight in gold. The Ficus is an example of the ease with which we are often ready to give up on a tree when it bothers us in some way.

If a 70-year-old tree is cut down, no new beneficial structure can replace it. There’s no substitute for an ancient tree. One who destroys such a tree uproots man’s roots David Ben-Gurion

Indeed, the leaves and fruit falling from the tree are not dirt, but a basis for organic rot (humus) that enriches the soil, maintains its biodiversity, and improves its physical properties. Organic matter also absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, fixes it in the soil, and thus reduces the concentration of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere; moreover, its high adsorptive capacity contributes to reducing pollutants in the ground water, for example.

So before we rush to blame the trees and decide to uproot them, we should change our perspective and remember that the only tree that doesn’t make a mess is a plastic tree or pergola; we should be more modest, remember than humans aren’t the only living things that exist near trees, and learn to look at the big picture.

And as the ‘old man’ said, ‘If a 70-year-old tree is cut down, no new beneficial structure can replace it.

There’s no substitute for an ancient tree. One who destroys such a tree uproots man’s roots. There’s no building or electricity more important than a big Eucalyptus tree, an old sycamore, or oak woodland. They are man’s roots. You can erect a building here or there, but there’s no substitute for a 100-year-old tree. It’s not just vandalism, but undermining the future. And we’re so quick to uproot here. We’ll always find trees that bother someone or something – the straight line of the pavement or the electricity wires, or some little square initiated by someone with a limited imagination.’

From a speech given by David Ben-Gurion to the Knesset, on 17.12.62, at the first reading of the National Parks, Nature Reserves, National Sites and Memorial Sites Law.

*From a study by Oded Potchter and colleagues on the use of trees for reducing the heat load. Published in ‘Ecology and Environment’ (in Hebrew), 2012.

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