**Scientific Name** Ficus microcarpa (fig with tiny fruit) 'Ginseng' **Common Name** Pot Belly Fig, Laurel Fig, Laurel Rubber, Curtain Fig, Strangling Fig, Chinese Banyan, Malayan Banyan **Origin** Native to India and Malaysia **Description** Bonsai trees are not naturally tiny; they are cultivated, pruned and trained to grow in these minute proportions. This species is actually a combination of the Ficus Ginseng, which gets its name since its trunk looks like a Ginseng root, and the Ficus microcarpa, which gives it its stunning, glossy green leaves. Fig trees can grow to be huge, so keeping one small enough to live indoors, let alone to be a bonsai, is no mean feat! Ficus bonsai can produce interesting aerial roots, which can stick out above the soil and create interesting shapes, but are most likely to do this in incredibly high humidity. **Light** The Ginseng Bonsai needs a lot of light, so place it in a bright window, ideally south facing. In winter it would benefit from a grow lig