A chromosome-level genome assembly of Ficus benjamina, a fig tree with great ecological and ornamental value

Ficus benjamina, the weeping fig, is one of the most widely distributed and cultivated figs, with important ecological functions and landscape value. However, the lack of a reference genome has hindered molecular and functional research on this well-known fig-tree. Here we present a chromosome-scale genome assembly and annotation for F. benjamina, based on a combination of Illumina short-reads, PacBio subreads, and Hi-C sequencing data. The genome consists of 13 pseudochromosomes that contain 362.73 Mb of assembled sequences, with a contig N50 length of 25.76 Mb and a complete BUSCO score of 98.10%. In total, 28,840 protein-coding genes were identified, of which 96.22% were functionally annotated. Our study provides the first chromosome-level genome of F. benjamina, providing an important resource for exploring the genetic basis of its ecological and horticultural characters.