Climbing Fig (Cây Thằn Lằn)
🌿 Product Name: Creeping Fig / Climbing Fig (Cây Thằn Lằn) small plant in plastic pot
🔬 Scientific Name: Ficus pumila L. (family Moraceae)
🩺 Medicinal value: Used in traditional Vietnamese medicine (Đông y) — the fruit and stems are considered a valuable herbal remedy, traditionally used to support treatment of erectile dysfunction (liệt dương), promote lactation/unblock milk ducts (thông tia sữa), and relieve joint and bone pain (đau nhức xương khớp). The fruit is also famously used to make "sương sâm"-style jelly desserts in Vietnamese cuisine.
🌎 Origin: Native to East Asia, including Vietnam, China, and Japan; widely naturalized throughout warm temperate and tropical Asia.
🎨 Uses: Grown both as an ornamental climbing/creeping vine (used to cover walls, fences, and facades for greenery) and as a folk medicinal herb. Also cultivated commercially for its fruit, used in traditional desserts and herbal preparations.
🌡️ Plant needs: Warm to mild temperatures, tolerates both sun and shade, and adapts to a wide range of humidity levels. Prefers well-draining soil and a sturdy surface (wall, trellis, or fence) to climb via aerial rootlets.
💧 How to care: Water regularly to keep soil moist, especially when young; established plants are fairly drought-tolerant. Tolerates full sun to partial shade. Prune periodically to control its vigorous climbing growth, as it can quickly cover large surfaces. Fertilize lightly a few times during the growing season. Fairly low-maintenance and hardy once established.
⚠️ Warning (children & pets): The plant contains a milky latex sap (typical of Ficus species) that can cause mild skin irritation on contact and stomach upset if ingested in quantity. Supervise young children and pets to prevent chewing on leaves or stems, and wash off any sap contact with skin.
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