I just took a break from trimming the rapidly-growing, impossible-to-keep-up-with ficus hedge that lines the west side of my property. It came with the house and is actually on the neighbor's side or it would have been gone long ago.
Ah, but there's hope for its demise. Our Remodelers Council (of which I'm chair) hosted a presentation by the University of Florida Agricultural Extension Service about native and other landscaping plants. Apparently there is some white fly that was discovered just a couple of months ago that is projected to ruin the ficus hedges.
If the ficus survives, maybe someone will invent a use for it other than a hedge. It is extremely invasive and out of control. It requires constant maintenance, and who has time for that?
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wow that is some fly .... hope it doesn't come here ficus hedges are pretty popular for privacy - what do you know about the demise of cabbage palms.... I have some coming up through the ground in my horse corral that I would just as soon remove....
Shannon,
I don't know that much about cabbage palms, but this I do know (1) they aren't really palms but palmettos (palms have fronds, palmettos have fans), and (2) they are the highest wind tolerant of any plant.
Steve
Steve
As you know ficus trees and hedges look great but are real mess to maintain, I took all of them out of my property.
Good luck and success
Lou Ludwig
Lou,
You're right that the hedges look good if they are maintained but that takes a lot of time and money. They are water magnets, and that is not good. Thanks,
Steve
I have on that I am trying to keep up with. They just grow faster than you can cut them down, I have shut of my sprinkler system in the ficus are and that really helped slow it down (a little)
Steve - I was at a restaurant somewhere here in the Bay area and they had ficus hedges that I swear were 20 feet tall. I didn't know they could grow that tall. Convinced me I didn't want them in my yard. Good luck with that fly.
Anne,
Two years ago I pulled up a ficus root that was over 1" in diameter and over 100' long - it looked like a rope. It headed for my drainfield and then for the house and meanderd about along the foundation. I never even found the end of it.
Steve
Bob,
Indeed they can grow that tall and be careful - they have a white latex type fluid in them which will irritate your skin.
Steve
Sounds like it may be time to sneak out late at night with a few gallons of Herbicide... you can always blame the Ficus's demise on that pesty white fly!
Robert,
Shhhhhh! Yeah, that's it the little white fly. Know where I can some of those little criiters? :)
Steve