Brisbane tree guide

Moreton Bay fig

Ficus macrophylla · also called Australian banyan, Black fig

The Moreton Bay fig is a giant native fig from the rainforests of eastern Australia, widely planted as a park shade tree. It grows into a massive, buttressed tree 15 to 30 metres tall or more, with a crown just as broad, made of big, glossy leaves that are rusty underneath. Its size and vigorous roots make it a tree for parks and large properties, not suburban backyards.

Native to South East Queensland
15 to 30 m tall

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Moreton Bay fig, from Wikimedia Commons — Photo: User DO'Neil on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Moreton Bay fig at a glance

Height: 15 to 30 m (up to 35 m in the wild)
Spread: 15 to 35 m
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Small and easy to miss
Roots: Aggressive
Origin: Coastal rainforest from the NSW south coast to south-east Queensland, plus Lord Howe Island
Power lines: Not on the council's list for under power lines
Family: Moraceae

How to identify a Moreton Bay fig

Look for large, leathery oval leaves 10 to 25 cm long on stalks up to 10 cm long, glossy dark green on top and rusty brown underneath. Round figs 2 to 2.5 cm across sit singly or in pairs near the branch tips and ripen from orange or yellowish to purple. Older trees have a huge trunk with large buttress roots. Port Jackson fig also has rusty leaf undersides, but its leaves are mostly 7 to 10 cm on short stalks and its warty figs ripen yellow to red. Small-leaved fig has smooth leaves only 3 to 13 cm long and small orange figs.

Growing a Moreton Bay fig in Brisbane

Brisbane sits inside its natural range, and the Moreton district around the city is one of the areas where it grows wild. It needs a great deal of room, though. Brisbane City Council lists it as a street tree only for arterial road medians and roundabouts with verges wider than 5 metres. It suits large parks and acreage, and copes with a range of soils as long as it gets steady moisture. On a suburban block it will outgrow the space, and its roots will find paving and pipes.

What to watch out for

This is one of the biggest trees you can plant in Brisbane. Its roots spread widely and can lift paving, damage house foundations and get into sewer pipes, and the trunk and buttresses need a lot of space. Brisbane City Council only lists it for wide arterial road medians and roundabouts, never under power lines. Keep it well away from houses, pipes and boundaries.

Size. It grows 15 to 35 metres tall with a similar spread, far too big for a normal suburban garden.

Pruning and care

Moreton Bay figs cope with most soils and do best with steady moisture. Pruning is mostly a matter of removing dead, damaged or crossing branches and keeping limbs clear of roofs and paths, using small, well-placed cuts rather than heavy lopping. In a large container, regular trimming keeps it bushy and compact. Root pruning or big cuts on a mature tree can affect its stability, so work on an established fig is a job for a qualified arborist.

Moreton Bay fig: your questions

Short answers, from the sources below.

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Are Moreton Bay fig roots invasive?

Yes. The Australian Native Plants Society warns its vigorous roots can damage paving and house foundations, and Urban Utilities advises against planting water-seeking figs near sewer pipes. It is only suited to large parks and acreage.

How big does a Moreton Bay fig get?

Brisbane City Council's street tree list gives 15 to 30 metres with a very large crown, and botanical sources record trees up to 35 metres tall with a similar spread.

Is the Moreton Bay fig native to Brisbane?

Yes. It grows naturally in rainforest from the New South Wales south coast to the Wide Bay and Burnett districts of Queensland, including the Moreton district around Brisbane.

Can you grow a Moreton Bay fig in a pot?

Yes. It makes a bushy plant for a large container, which the Australian Native Plants Society suggests as the way to grow it in a normal suburban garden.

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Sources and credits

Photo: User DO'Neil on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This profile updates sheet 34 of the plant profile booklet made for Colourful Tree Lopping in 2013. We checked every fact against current sources and rewrote it for the guide.

Checked October 2026. Weed listings and council rules change: check the council's and the Queensland Government's pages before you act.