Moreton Bay Figs
Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig, is a large evergreen banyan tree native to eastern Australia. It is best known for its imposing buttress roots. Most of the notable specimens in Southern California were planted in the late 19th century. To mention just a few: The widest specimen in North America is near the train station in Santa Barbara. The largest specimen in Orange County is in Orange; in Ventura County in Ventura. The tree in Founder’s Park in Anaheim served as a model for the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in Disneyland. There are three tall specimens in the Australian Garden at the Huntington in San Marino. The Moreton Fig restaurant on the USC campus takes its name from the tree out front. There is a row of them growing along one side of the Rose Garden in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. Two small trees flank the entrance of the historic Auto Club building at Figueroa and W Adams in Los Angeles. Both Rancho Los Alamitos and Rancho Los Cerritos in Long Beach have trees shading the lawn.