Strangler Figs

The genus Ficus has about 850 species that are collectively known as fig trees. These plants begin as hemiepiphytes with bird-dispersed seeds that avoid the dark jungle floor by germinating in crevices on top of other trees. See Wikipedia: Strangler fig. I was surprised to find out that the common Ficus trees in Mesa, Arizona were of the same genus as the strangler figs. The strangler fig is as iconic to the jungle as the saguaro is iconic to the southern Arizona deserts.