Timla (Roxburgh fig)

Ficus auriculata

Leaves like elephant ears and fat figs that sprout straight from the trunk; eaten ripe, or green in a curry.

Type: small tree · tropical and subtropical food plants
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 30 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: March to June
From: Himalayan foothills to Southeast Asia
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food, wildlife.

Native to: Himalaya & Indian hill country, South & Southeast Asian tropics. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.

The story

Timla is a village tree from Uttarakhand to Thailand. The huge leaves are fed to cattle and used as plates, and the figs are sold by the roadside in spring. The young leaves open coppery red.

Planting

Sun and moist soil in a warm climate. It does well in a large pot.

Growing

Water well and prune to size. It grows fast.

Harvest and use

Big figs in clusters on the trunk and main branches. Eat ripe ones fresh; green ones are cooked as a vegetable or pickled.

What to watch for

Frost. Milky sap. Like all wild figs it relies on its own tiny wasp, so fruit may not ripen outside its home range.

See if Timla (Roxburgh fig) fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.

More tropical and subtropical food plants

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home