Another notable group of figs are the “strangler figs.” These tropical, vine-like trees start as tiny seeds that have fallen on the branches or roots of an existing tree of another species. The seeds begin to grow, and the young trees encase the host in a tangle of roots and trunks, ultimately strangling it to death. All that’s left are the thriving figs.
Like all other figs, strangler figs rely on a tiny wasp to survive. Worldwide, scientists have described more than 600 different kinds of fig wasps. Usually, each is linked to a specific species of fig, although some figs appear to have more than one pollinating wasp.