Hills Weeping Fig Tree

Hills Weeping Fig (Ficus microcarpa var. hillii) is the fastest route to a tall evergreen wall in warm climate Australia. Left alone it becomes a 12m native tree with a crown about 8m across; clipped, it makes a dense, glossy hedge or pleached screen at whatever height you hold it. The trade off is below ground: the roots are vigorous and invasive, so where you plant it matters more than with any other screen we sell.

Why you'll love it

• Serious speed. A fast growing fig that closes a screen in a fraction of the time slower hedges need.
• Clips like a formal hedge. Small glossy leaves and dense growth take shearing, shaping and pleaching beautifully.
• Evergreen and unbothered. Humidity, coastal salt, wind and dry spells barely slow it, and it holds full cover through winter.
• A native that feeds birds. Small figs bring birds in, part of its value and occasionally part of its mess.
• Low maintenance apart from the trim. No pest drama and no fuss about soil, just the trimming a formal screen deserves.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy on larger blocks. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense screen. Rows close fast and hold foliage to the ground when trimmed from a young age.

Formal hedges and topiary. It shapes into clean walls, domes and pleached avenues, the look many buyers actually want from a fig.

Shade and avenue trees for acreage. With open ground and no services nearby, it makes a generous, long lived shade tree.

Large containers. Where space is tight, a big planter keeps the root system contained and the plant clipped to scale.

Growing Hills Weeping Fig in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts and frosty southern gardens should choose a hardier screen.

Placement. Treat root distance as the first rule: keep it well away from pipes, paving, pools, septic systems and boundaries. If the site cannot offer that clearance, grow it in a container or pick another plant.

Soil, water and feed. Any reasonable soil with drainage. Water deeply through the first summer, then it is drought tolerant. Feed in spring and late summer to fuel the trimming cycle.

Pruning. Trim two to three times through the warm months for a tight formal finish. It reshoots readily from old wood, so an overgrown hedge can be brought back hard.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell it as 200mm pots in packs of 6 (enough for 9m of screen at 1.5m spacing), single 300mm and 400mm pots, and advanced 45L, 100L, 200L, 400L and 500L trees for instant height. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect quick settling and visible new growth within weeks in warm weather, covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• See how it shapes in Ficus hillii topiary and formal shaping.
• Compare options in the best fast growing screening trees for privacy.
• Browse the full ficus collection.
• Weigh alternatives in hedging and screening plants.

Common questions

How close to the house or fence can I plant it?

Treat it as a tree for open ground. The roots seek water aggressively, so keep it clear of pipes, paving, pools and boundary fences. If the site is tight, use a large container or a smaller rooted screen like lilly pilly instead.

How quickly will it give me privacy?

Among the fastest evergreen screens in warm climates. Planted at 1.5m spacing with water and feed, a hedge reads as solid within a few seasons, sooner from advanced stock.

Can I hold it at 3m to 4m?

Yes. Regular trimming holds it at hedge height indefinitely, and it tolerates hard cutting back if it ever gets away from you. The root caution still applies at any height.

Will it handle frost?

Light frost only. In frost prone inland and southern gardens the foliage burns and growth stalls, so choose a cold tolerant hedge there instead.