On 12/10/2009 5:58 PM, JayDee wrote:

I've had aficustree in the corner of a room with large west and
north views for a couple years now, but i'd like to move it onto the
balcony with the same view(it's getting a bit large for the room) .
i'm not sure what kind officusit is so if anyone can help with ID,
that'd be great.
Without a picture, if it is the common fig we see in the shopping
malls, it is Ficus benjamina, the weeping fig. The modern cultivars
are less likely to shed their leaves than the original species. By the
way, if your tree gets too big, you can prune it, like any tree. The
sap is latex, but don't let that stop you.

My Ficus benjamina (weeping Chinese banyan, a common indoor ficus)
Chinese banyan is Ficus microcarpa, an entirely different species. The
leaves are rounder on the tips and much thicker than Ficus benjamina.
It probably tolerates more sun.
Iris