Third Anniversary-December 17th, 2013

It has been a long three years since December 17th, 2010. That's 1,095 days. The Ficus religiosa that is slowly and quietly growing here serves as a reminder that memory is something one cannot forget. Like clockwork, every December of every year, leaves are shed as if to say "Leave me alone to sleep through the cold nights of winter." Sure as the sun does rise from the East every morning, new growth will appear magically when spring will return because life goes on...

Monthly Progress # 31

Another month has gone by and we are now in November... The ficus is now entering its slow growth dormant stage. New growth is not expected until the early spring days of next year. Now you know how slowly a ficus grows. Here it is, 31 months after planting.

Monthly Progress #30

It's now October... The cooler mornings have arrived in Miami and the juvenile blue land crabs begun to show their presence around this area. When young, they are multi-colored and beautiful. The ficus definitely has shown sign to slow down in its growth. Here it is, 30 months since the day it was planted.

Monthly Progress #29

Mid September already... It has been raining everyday for a while and the ground in this area is soaked and saturated. The ficus is taking its time to build up new growths and it seems to live well with its neighbors, the cicads male and female. It is a constant struggle for the workers to keep the grass under control here. Today, mosquitoes, mosquitoes and mosquitoes are everywhere and I was under attack all the while being here.

Monthly Progress #28

Here is the young F. religiosa in mid August, about 5 feet tall now. This tree has a pattern of growth typical of the ficus trees, that is it likes to develop the trunk from which branches develop. A new name tag replaces the one that broke off previously. Thanks to the presence of the group of cicads surrounding, the ground is maintained and weeded regularly.

Monthly Progress # 27

Here is the handsome young F. religiosa in mid July, about 5 feet tall now. It's hot under the sub-tropical sun these days in Miami. The group of cicads from Mexico is seen in this photo, and they are doing well. The ficus' name tag has disappeared possibly due to the recent ground maintenance here and a new name tag will need to be made.

Monthly Progress # 26

Here is the handsome young F. religiosa in mid June when the heat is getting intense under the sub tropical sun of Miami. Surrounded now by the newly planted cicads, the ficus' new growths appeared to form new branches and the tree has more than doubled in size since first planted at this location. Today, a family of tiny tree frogs made its temporary refuge from the hot sun on the sacred leaves of the ficus. I spotted at least a dozen, some as small as a peanut and the largest the size of an almond, presumably the mother.

Monthly Progress #25

Half way into the first month of the third year after planting, the F. religiosa is beginning to grow vigorously. The pattern of growth is typical of this species' young plants: new branches emerge in the Spring at the nodes where the leaves fell off during the deciduous period that just finished. A family of Zamia furfuracea, a cycad native to southeastern Veracruz state in eastern Mexico with several male and female plants, is recently planted surrounding this ficus. This is a welcome addition to this area and it will bring more copious and regular watering during the hot months of Summer.

Two Years

Exactly two years after planting, the Ficus religiosa is taking its time to get established. Although semi-deciduous, it has dropped more leaves than usual because of a couple of intense cold fronts and the lack of copious rain. During the past week , several short lived rain storms have triggered many new growth that will refurnish the now bare branches. The tree is doing well despite its current appearance.

Monthly Progress # 23

Here is the Ficus 23 months after planting. When ground service in this area is late like it is the case now, the field is covered with wild flowers like this. Rain is still very scarce this year and new growth is expected to start soon.

Monthly Progress #22

At 22 month after planting, the Ficus religiosa is now in its dormant stage. A drought is being experienced here because rain has been very scarce to be almost nonexistent and weekly watering is welcome. The red ants are gone after a quick aggressive treatment.

Monthly Progress # 21

Here is a look at the Ficus religiosa 21-month after planting at this location. Again, the red ants have returned. These pests love to make their home right here and will need to be dealt with again. This ficus, being semi-deciduous, does slow its growth during this time when old leaves fall off and new foliage growth is starting. This phenomenon occurs in tropical and sub-tropical woody species during cold autumn/winter or dry season.