Ficus sycomorus

The sycamore is a very tall tree.

It has wide branches that give cool shade. The bark is orange and peels off in strips. The leaves are shaped like hearts. They feel rough when you touch them. This tree grows sweet fruit all year. The fruit can be yellow or red. People in Egypt used this tree a long time ago. It was a special tree for them. It is a wonderful tree to see.

The sycamore fig is a very tall tree.

It has a wide, round top. Its branches spread out to make lots of shade. The bark is orange or yellow. It peels off in thin, papery strips. The leaves are shaped like hearts. They are dark green on top. They feel rough when you touch them.

This tree grows sweet fruit all year. The fruit is small and round. It can be yellow or red. In Egypt, there are two main types. One type has large, pink fruit. The other type has small, yellow fruit.

Ancient Egyptians loved this tree. They called it the tree of life. They used the wood for many things. They even used it to make boxes for mummies. People also used the tree in gardens. In Egypt, there is a famous tree called the Tree of the Virgin. People visit it for prayer. Some stories say the Holy Family found shelter in a sycamore tree. This tree is a big part of history.

The sycamore fig is a very special tree. It is known by many names like the fig-mulberry or sycomore.

This tree is very tall and has a wide top. Its branches spread out to create a thick, round crown. The bark is a bright green-yellow or orange color. It peels away in thin, papery strips to show yellow bark underneath. The leaves are shaped like hearts and feel rough to the touch. They are dark green on top but lighter on the bottom.

This tree grows fruit all year long. The fruit is edible and grows in thick clusters. Each fruit is about 2 to 3 cm wide. They change color from a buff-green to yellow or red as they ripen.

In Egypt, people grow two main kinds of this tree. The Roumi variety has wide branches and large, flat pink fruits. The Kelabi variety has thinner branches and small, yellow, pear-shaped fruits. These trees need a special tiny wasp called Ceratosolen arabicus to reproduce. This wasp helps the tree make seeds through a natural process.

History shows that people have grown these trees for a long time. The name came into English in the 14th century. It comes from Old French and Latin words.

Ancient Egyptians were the main people who grew them. Remains of the tree appear in records from very early times. They are found in large amounts starting in the third millennium BC. Scientists Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf studied how important the tree was. They found that the tree was the "tree of life" for ancient Egyptians.

Many different places in the world have these trees. They are native to Africa, south of the Sahel. They also grow in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Israel.

You can find them in Egypt and Palestine too. In the past, the Philistines brought the tree to Palestine. The trees were once very common in the Beirut neighborhood of Gemmayzeh. In Egypt, the wood was used to make caskets for mummies. People even used the timber and twigs in many different ways.

This tree is important to many different cultures and religions. In the Bible, the sycomore is mentioned many times. In Egypt, the tree was linked to goddesses like Isis and Nut.

There is a famous site in El Matareya called the Tree of the Virgin. People visit this spot for prayer and pilgrimage. The Kikuyu people in Africa also see the tree as sacred. They used to perform ceremonies under its branches. The name of the Kikuyu tribe even comes from the name of this tree.

The sycamore fig, known scientifically as *Ficus sycomorus*, is a significant fruit tree. It is often called the fig-mulberry because its leaves look like mulberry leaves. This species is highly valued for its edible fruit and its shade. It grows into a tall tree with a wide, dense crown of branches. The bark is colorful, ranging from green-yellow to orange. It exfoliates, which means it peels off in thin, papery strips. This peeling reveals a yellow inner bark underneath. Like other members of the fig family, the tree contains a milky latex.

The biology of the tree involves specific leaf and fruit structures. The leaves are heart-shaped with a round apex, or tip. They grow in a spiral pattern around the twigs. Each leaf is about 10 cm wide and feels rough to the touch. The top side is dark green, while the bottom is lighter with yellow veins. The fruit is a large, edible fig measuring 2 to 3 cm in diameter. These fruits grow in thick clusters on long branchlets or leaf axils. They change color from buff-green to yellow or red as they ripen. The tree can produce up to five successive crops each year.

There are two major varieties of this tree found in Egypt. The first is the Roumi variety, also called Falaki or Turki. This variety has branches that spread out horizontally. It features stout shoots and thick petioles, which are the stalks that join a leaf to a stem. Its leaves are wider than they are long, and it produces large, flat, pink fruits. The second variety is the Kelabi, also known as Arabi or Beledi. This tree is more slender with vertical branches. It has smaller leaves and produces smaller, yellowish, pear-shaped fruits.

The reproduction of *Ficus sycomorus* relies on a complex biological relationship. The tree requires a specific symbiotic wasp called *Ceratosolen arabicus* to reproduce sexually. A symbiosis is a close relationship between two different species. In tropical areas where this wasp is common, the tree supports a mini-ecosystem. This system includes the wasp, nematodes, other parasitic wasps, and larger predators. The tree produces fruit randomly to ensure insects and animals always visit. While this wasp is now extinct in Egypt, researchers believe Egypt was the main area for the tree's development.

History shows that this tree has been cultivated since ancient times. The name entered the English language in the 14th century as *sicamour*. This name comes from Old French and Latin, eventually tracing back to the Greek term for "fig-mulberry." Botanists Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf studied its history in Egypt. They found that remains of the tree appear in predynastic times. By the start of the third millennium BC, the tree was found in large quantities. Ancient Egyptians viewed it as the "tree of life." They used its timber and twigs in many ways, including making caskets for mummies.

The tree holds deep cultural and religious significance across many regions. In the Hebrew Bible, the sycomore is mentioned seven times. In Egypt, the tree was associated with goddesses like Hathor, Isis, and Nut. Some goddesses were even depicted with human body parts like arms or breasts growing from trees. In El Matareya, the "Tree of the Virgin" serves as a pilgrimage site. It is believed the Holy Family took refuge in such a tree. In Africa, the Kikuyu people consider the tree sacred. They performed sacrifices to their creator, Ngai, under its branches. Even the name of the Kikuyu tribe comes from the name of this tree.

Today, the sycamore fig remains an important orchard and ornamental tree. It is native to Africa, specifically south of the Sahel and north of the Tropic of Capricorn. It also grows naturally in places like Lebanon, Cyprus, Israel, and Palestine. In the past, the Philistines brought the tree to Palestine during the Iron Age. In the city of Beirut, the neighborhood of Gemmayzeh takes its name from the sycamore fig. Although many trees have disappeared from urban areas, the species remains a vital part of the landscape in the Near East.