For us who likes to grow ficus, there are confusing names like Kinmen, Tiger Bark, Golden Gate, Kingman etc., which sound like they are different cultivars. Actually, they all refer to only one cultivar of Ficus microcarpa which as a species is quite variable. The history of its discovery and naming was briefly mentioned in Min Hsuan Lo's book, "Bonsai Journey". Since it was written in Chinese; the book is out of print and is not readily availbale, not many people in the West know about this information. Therefore, I wrote a blog retelling the story of this popular ficus with additonal backgrounds to help readers unfamiliar with Taiwan history and its dialect to understand why the confusions. Hope you all like the story, and Happy 2020!
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How Did Tiger Bark, Kinmen, Golden Gate Ficus Get Their Names?
Ficus microcarpa, commonly called the Chinese Banyan or Indian Laurel, is the most used ficus species for bonsai. Although it has many cultivars and varieties, Tiger Bark, aka Golden Gate, Ki…
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