• The ficus are fig-producing shrubs, trees and vines.Steve Allen/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  The ficus is a tropical and sub-tropical type of plant whose hundreds of different varieties include trees and vines as well as shrubs. Of those varieties, some are used as ornamental and fruit-producing crops that can be incorporated into a backyard landscape as hedges or specimen plants.
  
  

Common Fig

• The common fig is an attractive shrub with a mature height of between 15 and 30 feet. Native to the Mediterranean, the Ficus carica has been a cultivated crop for thousands of years. Rated for U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 8 through 11, the common fig is a shrub that requires hot summers and mild winters in order to thrive. Drought tolerant, the common fig can adjust to full sun or partial shade, and requires well-drained soil. Although its native habitat is a warm, tropical region, the common fig can be cold-hardy with protection from the winter chill. Freezing figs can go dormant, and begin to regrow once the ground thaws. The fruit of the common fig is ample and edible. Because the shrubs produce so much, they can be extremely messy and shouldn't be planted near patios and walkways without planning for cleanup and constant harvesting during the spring and summer or fall crops.
  
  

Dwarf Ficus

• The dwarf ficus, also known as the Chinese banyan, is a tropical perennial shrub rated for USDA zones 9b through 11. With a height of between 1 and 4 feet, the dwarf ficus can be used for ground cover. Often included in a landscape because of its foliage, the dwarf ficus is a deciduous shrub with shiny, glossy dark green leaves in the summer months. In the autumn, the tree turns a bright bronze. The dwarf ficus can also be groomed into a bonsai tree, as it can easily adapt to life indoors. For those that live outside of the dwarf ficus's zone ratings, it is possible to plant the ficus in a container and bring it inside to weather the colder months.
  
  

Rubber Plant

• The rubber plant, or Ficus elastica, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub native to Sumatra, Burma and the Eastern Himalayas. Once used to make a form of rubber, this plant is now more common as an ornamental shrub or indoor houseplant. In its native habitat, it can reach a mature height of between 50 and 100 feet. In a backyard or indoor environment, it has a more managable height of between 2 and 10 feet. While it can be kept as a houseplant in cooler climates, the rubber plant has a USDA zone rating of 10 through 12. Its leaves are thick and leathery and have a glossy, deep green color. Stipules are purple or pink. In its natural environment, the rubber plant bear pairs of small, nondescript fig fruits, but they are rarely, if ever, seen on indoor plants and those shrubs used for landscaping.