An ivy league of their own

Manila, Philippines - While beards have always been present on the faces of scientists, mathematicians, philosophers and the like, one variety not too ephemeral and exclusive for growing (for us scruff-barren boys, anyway) is the Creeping Fig (or ivy, as it’s known in the West).

Botanists over at Manila Seedling Bank had enthusiastically responded to my call-in reservation. My specific plant-life requirements had brought me all the way to the bank for a rare squat of elusive Philodendrons to give as a gift. In my opinion, Poinsettias are the most impersonal gift in the category of corporate giveaways (which are just acts of courtesy and not love); for me, the more specific, the more gratifying.

The Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila), like the heart-shaped Philodendron (or monstera deliciosa), survives on minimal watering and reaches out to climb walls or trees. While investigating the horror stories on the Creeping Fig on the net, I found unhappy and disgruntled owners who pointed out its uncontrollable root growth. Unforeseen horrors include destroyed pipes and, worse, bad neighbor relations (for non-consent).

In the book Medicinal Plants of the Philippines (1951), Dr. Eduardo A. Quisumbing is optimistic about the plant’s possible therapeutic claims in absence of a clinical painkiller: “The latex of Ficus pumila possesses proteolytic activity.”

In Garden magazine (1921), landscape architects Wilhem Miller and Leonard Baron assert its architectural value: “Ficus Pumila are two evergreen clinging vines that are very charming on cement or brick walls... and although slow in starting, they eventually cover every bit of available surface. Architects would find them friendly covers for rough and cheaply finished concrete.”

The Creeping Fig makes even more sense in courtyards or public parks. It succeeds so well at creating an atmosphere and, surprisingly, with not a lot of expense. I recall the “mirage” feeling as I walk around blocks and entire edifici of apartments or parks pop out, fully covered in fig, contrasting with heavy stone masonry or stuccoed walls. An excellent groundcover option to Bermuda grass, the Creeping Fig softens cold concrete in harsh industrial factory zones. And as factory zones metamorphose in use, the sight of these fig tendrils, dried and charred, leave “footprints” — a beautiful mess, evoking the passing of time, like patina — just as wood reveal signs of aging.

While the creeping fig appears fragile in its early stage, at its coming of age, it evolves with a mature, leathery texture. Its tiny heart-shaped leaves grow and can replace roadside banalities in the form of oversized concrete planter box, or “sculptural” bas relief art. Its tendrils and its unexpectedness lend it its own theatrical value. Its sound-absorbing skills can soften highway noise and maybe tension along the way. You can actually spot it climb up from the villages parallel to EDSA highway.

Facial foliage: Beards for landscaping the face and an actual space.

In the domestic realm, it conceals so well the reminders of the reality of gates, or the ubiquitous perimeter wall, as security blankets in our gated communities. To tone it down, rather than achieving fake heritage gates (or consider the horror of recreating mock-Edwardian gates in this day and age), plant life can open up neighborhoods, introducing backyards that offer the promise of a forest and its intricacies in the city home, especially in our sunny, tropical climate.

The courtyard has become that void in a dense home allowing little sunlight to enter. It flourishes as well where flat minimal greenery is desired for impromptu “speakeasy” soirees.

This humble material is a neutral backdrop that opens up further, as our networks give birth to include extended families, from canine to vegetal. What more posthumous way to honor growth and the breakdown of gaps (and whiteness of walls) than embracing the Creeping Fig?