What is the difference between Ficus Panda and Ficus Nitida?
Ficus Panda is a small-leaved cultivar of Ficus microcarpa, so it holds a clipped ball, cone or standard far more crisply. Ficus Nitida has larger leaves, grows faster and costs less per metre, which makes it the better choice for a long hedge run rather than a formal specimen.
Both are forms of Ficus microcarpa and both are used constantly across UAE landscaping, so nurseries often use the names loosely. The practical difference is leaf size, and leaf size decides what shape the plant will hold.
Use Ficus Panda where the shape is the point — a matched pair flanking a villa entrance, a clipped ball on a terrace, a formal cone. Use Ficus Nitida where metres of screening are the point; it closes faster and costs less to run along a boundary.
Both drop leaves for a fortnight after any change in light, including delivery. Keep the watering steady rather than increasing it, and leave the plant in one position — moving it again restarts the adjustment period.