Ficus religiosa

Ficus religiosa or sacred fig is a species of

fig native to the Indian subcontinent[2] and
Indochina[3] that belongs to Moraceae, the
fig or mulberry family. It is also known as
the bodhi tree,[4] pimple tree, peepul
tree,[2] peepal tree, pipala tree, ashvattha
tree (in India and Nepal), or Asathu
(ඇසතු) in Sinhala [5] The sacred fig is
considered to have a religious significance
in three major religions that originated on
the Indian subcontinent, Hinduism,
Buddhism and Jainism. Hindu and Jain
ascetics consider the species to be sacred
and often meditate under it. A tree of
these species under which Gautama
Buddha is believed to have attained
enlightenment. The sacred fig is the state
tree of the Indian states of Odisha,[6] Bihar
and Haryana.
 Sacred fig

The tree trunk and distinctive heart-shaped

leaves

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Rosids

Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Ficus

Subgenus: F. subg. Urostigma

Species: F. religiosa

Binomial name

Ficus religiosa
L. 1753 not Forssk. 1775

Synonyms[1]

Ficus caudata Stokes

Ficus peepul Griff.
Ficus religiosa var. cordata Miq.
Ficus religiosa var. rhynchophylla Miq.
Ficus rhynchophylla Steud.
Ficus superstitiosa Link
 Urostigma affine Miq.
Urostigma religiosum (L.) Gasp.

Description

Nature printed leaf, showing shape and venation

Ficus religiosa is a large dry season-
deciduous or semi-evergreen tree up to 30
metres (98 ft) tall and with a trunk
diameter of up to 3 metres (9.8 ft). The
leaves are cordate in shape with a
distinctive extended drip tip; they are 10–
17 centimetres (3.9–6.7 in) long and 8–12
centimetres (3.1–4.7 in) broad, with a 6–
10 centimetres (2.4–3.9 in) petiole. The
fruits are small figs 1–1.5 centimetres
(0.39–0.59 in) in diameter, green ripening
to purple.

F. religiosa has a lifespan ranging between

900 and 1,500 years. The Jaya Sri Maha
Bodhi tree in the city of Anuradhapura in
Sri Lanka is estimated to be more than
2,250 years old.

Distribution
Ficus religiosa is native to most of the
Indian subcontinent – Bangladesh, Bhutan,
Nepal, Pakistan and India including the
Assam region, Eastern Himalaya and the
Nicobar Islands, as well as part of
Indochina – the Andaman Islands,
Thailand, Myanmar and Peninsular
Malaysia. It has been widely introduced
elsewhere, particularly in the rest of
tropical Asia, but also in Iran, Florida and
Venezuela.[7]
Ecology

Flooded Ficus religiosa trunk in the muddy water of the Mekong, in Laos.

Ficus religiosa suitably grows at altitudes

ranging from 10 metres (33 ft) up to 1,520
metres (4,990 ft). Due to the climatic
conditions which are prevalent throughout
different heat zones, it can grow at
latitudes ranging from 30°N to 5°S. It can
tolerate air temperatures ranging between
0 to 35 °C (32 to 95 °F), beyond this upper
limit its growth diminishes. It grows on a
wide variety of soils but preferably needs
deep, alluvial sandy loam with good
drainage. It is also found on shallow soils
including rock crevices.

Association

Ficus religiosa is associated with

Blastophaga quadriceps, an agaonid wasp
which acts as its pollinator as this wasp
lays its eggs only on trees of this species.

Environment
Ficus religiosa is tolerant to various
climate zones (Köppen climate
classification categories of Af, Am, Aw/As,
Cfa, Cwa and Csa) and various types of
soils. In Paraguay the tree species occurs
in forests at lower elevations, and in China
the species has been reported growing at
altitudes ranging from 400 to 700 metres
(1,300 to 2,300 ft). In India, being a native
species, it occurs both naturally in wild as
well as cultivated up to altitudes of 1,520
metres (4,990 ft).

Climate
Ficus religiosa is tolerant to widely varying
climatic conditions such as Tropical
rainforest climate where the region
receives more than 60 millimetres
(6.0 cm) of precipitation per month,
Tropical monsoon climate where average
precipitation ranges from 60 millimetres
(6.0 cm) in the driest month to 100
millimetres (10 cm), Tropical savanna
climate with dry summer where average
precipitation ranges from 60 millimetres
(6.0 cm) per month in summers to 100
millimetres (10 cm) per month in winters,
Warm temperate climate, wet all year
where average temperature ranges from 0
to 10 °C (32 to 50 °F) and it is wet all year,
as well as Warm temperate climate with
dry summer where average temperature
ranges from 0 to 10 °C (32 to 50 °F) and
summers are dry.

Invasiveness

A young tree growing on a concrete wall in Delhi. It is tolerant to wide variety of soils, and hence it even thrives on concrete
walls having little moisture.

Unlike most epiphytic jungle figs, which

ring the stems of dicotyledonous support
trees from the outside, the epiphytic
bushes of F. religiosa are not true
stranglers. Their roots penetrate inside the
stem of the support, eventually splitting it
from within. Ficus religiosa has been listed
as an "environmental weed" or "naturalised
weed" by the Global Compendium of
Weeds (Randall, 2012). It has been
assigned an invasiveness high risk score
of 7 in a risk assessment prepared for the
species' invasiveness in Hawaii by PIER.
Such a high score predicts it will become a
major pest in suitable climate zones. The
major reasons for its invasive behaviour
are its fast-growing nature, tolerance to
various climate zones and soil types,
reported lifespan of over 3,000 years, and
its suffocating growth habit as it often
begins life as an epiphyte.

In culture and heritage

Painted goblet, with peepal leaf motif, from Mundigak (Afghanistan), period IV, c. 2700 BC. Musée Guimet.

The earliest known record of Ficus

religiosa in human culture is the use of
peepal leaf motifs in the pottery of the
Helmand culture, found at Mundigak site,
in Kandahar, Afghanistan, dating back to
third millennium BCE.[8]

The Indus Valley Civilisation venerated this

tree and its leaf and drew religious art of
it.[9]

The peepal tree is considered sacred by

the followers of Hinduism, Jainism and
Buddhism. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna
says, "I am the Peepal tree among the
trees, Narada among the Deva Rishi
(Divine sages), Bhrigu among the Saptha-
Maharishis, Chitraratha among the
Gandharvas, And sage Kapila among the
Siddhas."[10] In India, the medal for the
highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, is
modelled on the leaf of a Peepal tree.[11]

Buddhism

Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment

(bodhi) while meditating underneath a
Ficus religiosa. The site is in present-day
Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India. The original tree
was destroyed, and has been replaced
several times. A branch of the original tree
was rooted in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka in
288 BCE and is known as Jaya Sri Maha
Bodhi; it is the oldest living human-planted
flowering plant (angiosperm) in the
world.[12]

The Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple was propagated from the Sri Maha Bodhi, which in turn was propagated from
the original Bodhi Tree at this location.

In Theravada Buddhist Southeast Asia, the

tree's massive trunk is often the site of
Buddhist or animist shrines. Not all Ficus
religiosa are ordinarily called a Bodhi Tree.
A true Bodhi Tree is traditionally
considered a tree that has as its parent
another Bodhi Tree, and so on, until the
first Bodhi Tree, which is the tree under
which Gautama is said to have gained
enlightenment.[13]

Hinduism

Sadhus (Hindu ascetics) meditate beneath

sacred fig trees, and Hindus do
pradakshina (circumambulation, or
meditative pacing) around the sacred fig
tree as a mark of worship. Usually seven
pradakshinas are done around the tree in
the morning time chanting "vriksha rajaya
namah", meaning "salutation to the king of
trees". It is claimed that the 27 stars
(constellations) constituting 12 houses
(rasis) and 9 planets are specifically
represented precisely by 27 trees—one for
each star. The Bodhi Tree is said to
represent Pushya (Western star name γ, δ
and θ Cancri in the Cancer constellation).

Plaksa is a possible Sanskrit term for Ficus

religiosa. However, according to Macdonell
and Keith (1912), it denotes the wavy-
leaved fig tree (Ficus infectoria) instead. In
Hindu texts, the Plaksa tree is associated
with the source of the Sarasvati River. The
Skanda Purana states that the Sarasvati
originates from the water pot of Brahma
flows from Plaksa on the Himalayas.
According to Vamana Purana 32.1-4, the
Sarasvati was rising from the Plaksa tree
(Pipal tree).[14] Plaksa Pra-sravana denotes
the place where the Sarasvati appears.[15]
In the Rigveda Sutras, Plaksa Pra-sravana
refers to the source of the Sarasvati.[16]

Cultivation

Ficus religiosa taken in early winter

Typical example of aerial roots

Ficus religiosa is grown by specialty tree

plant nurseries for use as an ornamental
tree, in gardens and parks in tropical and
subtropical climates. Peepul trees are
native to Indian subcontinent and thrive in
hot, humid weather. They prefer full
sunlight and can grow in all soil types,
though loam is the best. When planting,
use soil with a pH of 7 or below. While it is
possible for the plant to grow indoors in a
pot, it grows best outside. Young peepul
needs proper nourishment. It requires full
sunlight and proper watering. Sacred fig
occurs naturally in submontane forest
regions. As with many Ficus trees, these
are well suited for Bonsai training.

In the Middle East, it is preferably planted

as an avenue or road verge tree. In the
Philippines and in Nicaragua the species is
cultivated in parks and along roadsides
and pavements, while in Paraguay it
occurs in forests at lower elevations.[17]

In Thailand โพ or "Pho" trees grow

everywhere, but in the Wats (temples) they
are revered, and usually are several
hundred years old, with trunks up to 20
feet (6.1 meters) wide. As with all sacred
trees in Thailand, they have a saffron cloth
wrapped around the base. A yearly ritual
involving the Bo Trees at wats is the
purchasing of "mai kam sii" ไม้คำ้ศริ, which
are "supports" that look like crutches and
are placed under the spreading branches
as if holding them up. The purchase
money helps fund the wat, a central part of
Thai life.

Uses
Ficus religiosa is used in traditional
medicine for about fifty types of disorders
including asthma, diabetes, diarrhea,
epilepsy, gastric problems, inflammatory
disorders, infectious and sexual
disorders.[18]

Farmers in North India also cultivate it for

its fig fruit.

The trunk of this tree is used by farmers as

a soil leveller. After seed harvesting, the
rectangular trunk is connected to tractors
and levels the soil.[19]

See also
Bodhi Tree
Shitala Devi
 Ficus Ruminalis

Notes
1. The Plant List, Ficus religiosa L. (http://ww
w.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2812
027)
2. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Peepul" (http
s://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%
C3%A6dia_Britannica/Peepul) .
Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.).
Cambridge University Press. p. 45.
3. "Ficus religiosa" (https://npgsweb.ars-grin.g
ov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=169
62) . Germplasm Resources Information
Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research
Service (ARS), United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 29 January
2017.
4. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University
Press, 1971, p. 1014
5. "Ficus religiosa — Peepal" (https://web.arch
ive.org/web/20120214150730/http://www.
flowersofindia.in/catalog/slides/Peepal.ht
ml) . Flowers of India. Archived from the
original (http://www.flowersofindia.in/catal
og/slides/Peepal.html) on 14 February
2012. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
6. State symbols (http://www.mapsofindia.co
m/orissa/state-symbols.html)
7. "Ficus religiosa L." (https://powo.science.ke
w.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:853563
-1) Plants of the World Online. Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 19 March
2021.
8. Sher, S. and Hameed, A., Comparative
Analysis of the Gandharan Floral Motifs
from Butkara (I and III) and Takht-i-Bahi.
Sindh Antiquities 2020 Vol-06, No 1, pp.
128–145. (https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfro
nt.net/67245610/01_Final_Journal_20_April
_2021_1_-with-cover-page-v2.pdf?Expires=1
651412337&Signature=R4a1pSp5UuPC2gO
n6gXuctcTwcsRzlv~kFrzyy2Pr0LRooJH9w
mzIBqScxPFzPN-60~EtbqK9tqbFYdqqF~df
UKIwHXN0vwuxpcIMlZ0yYgR7tZvPpBlkUl1
SzSkWtOOxrg9BAdRd-uy-bHGKeV-Z~uF~5
AH4GclcamoYlDyrFWjTKJSdTibxupRSWPa
dRuA7KsIEC4hpi0ORJAImoC-QbB4OcR5Kx
6TvHCJeSsrQXes~wE1WRukkkIvozGhORxn
nkEPmhjivX4T7aEV2546XWXAmXkC668Zo
ePuMiKojWBp8X6XPP01TR5biZouj4svbNm
 GQPmmsat2Odi~In1~Hg__&Key-Pair-Id=AP
KAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA#page=130)
9. McIntosh, Jane; Chrisp, Peter; Parker, Philip;
Gibson, Carrie; Grant, R. G.; Regan, Sally
(October 2014). History of the World in
1,000 Objects. New York: DK and the
Smithsonian. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4654-2289-
7.
10. "The Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 10 - The Yoga
of Manifestation" (http://www.santosha.co
m/philosophy/gita-chapter10.html) .
santosha.com.
11. Ranjan, Amitav (4 February 2014). "Sachin's
Bharat Ratna today a medal from 2000" (htt
ps://web.archive.org/web/2014042821130
3/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/in
dia-others/sachins-bharat-ratna-today-a-me
dal-from-2000/) . The Indian Express. New
Delhi. Archived from the original (http://indi
anexpress.com/article/india/india-others/s
achins-bharat-ratna-today-a-medal-from-20
00/) on 28 April 2014. Retrieved
13 February 2023.
12. "Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research,
OLDLIST" (http://www.rmtrr.org/oldlist.ht
m) . Retrieved 3 July 2011.
13. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bo-Tree" (http
s://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%
C3%A6dia_Britannica/Bo-Tree) .
Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.).
Cambridge University Press. p. 305.
14. D.S. Chauhan in Radhakrishna, B.P. and
Merh, S.S. (editors): Vedic Sarasvati, 1999,
p. 35–44
15. Pancavimsa Brahmana, Jaiminiya Upanisad
Brahmana, Katyayana Srauta Sutra,
Latyayana Srauta; Macdonell and Keith
1912
16. Asvalayana Srauta Sutra, Sankhayana
Srauta Sutra; Macdonell and Keith 1912,
II:55
17. "Ficus religiosa (sacred fig tree)" (https://w
ww.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/24168) .
Invasive Species Compendium. CABI.
Retrieved 23 July 2018.
18. Damanpreet Singh; Bikram Singh; Rajesh
Kumar Goela (12 April 2011). "Journal of
Ethnopharmacology : Traditional uses,
phytochemistry and pharmacology of Ficus
religiosa: A review". Journal of
Ethnopharmacology. 134 (3): 565–583.
doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.01.046 (https://doi.o
rg/10.1016%2Fj.jep.2011.01.046) .
PMID 21296646 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.
nih.gov/21296646) .
19. "Peepal Tree: Benefits And Uses of Peepal
Tree » Trees Varieties" (https://treesvarietie
s.com/peepal-tree/) . Trees Varieties. 2
November 2020. Retrieved 10 November
2020.

References
Keith and Macdonell. 1912. Vedic Index
of Names and Subjects.
Plaksa description (http://iu.ff.cuni.cz/p
andanus/database/details.php?plantno
=400094&enc=utf&sort=ka&display=50&
reswind=this&lat=&skt=on&pkt=&tam=&
start=0)

External links
 Wikimedia Commons has media related
to:
Ficus religiosa (category)
Wikispecies has information related to
Ficus religiosa.
Wikisource has the text of the 1911
Encyclopædia Britannica article "Bo-
Tree".

Entry on Bodhi Tree in the Buddhist

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names (http://
www.palikanon.com/english/pali_name
s/b/bodhirukka.htm)

"Peepul" (https://en.wikisource.org/wik
i/The_Encyclopedia_Americana_(1920)/
 Peepul) . Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.
The Bodhi tree revealed by old picture (h
ttps://wmghz.blogspot.com/2017/09/bl
og-post_11.html)

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