The Fiddleleaf Fig, or Ficus lyrata, is one of my very favorite houseplants and always has been. I’m crazy for its huge, tough, leaves which are shaped like violins and look like road maps.
The Fiddleleaf Fig plant is especially favored by people by those who are fans of a groovy, modern environment. I believe it would fit into a Palm Springs lounge with ease. It has a very different look from its more common leaf-laden Ficus benjamina cousin, that’s for sure.
Some Of Our General Houseplant Guides For Your Reference:
- Guide To Watering Indoor Plants
- Beginner’s Guide To Repotting Plants
- 3 Ways To Successfully Fertilize Indoor Plants
- How to Clean Houseplants
- Winter Houseplant Care Guide
- Plant Humidity: How I Increase Humidity For Houseplants
- Buying Houseplants: 14 Tips For Indoor Gardening Newbies
- 11 Pet-Friendly Houseplants
2 Fiddleleaf Figs are better than 1!
As you can see, even the smaller Fiddleleafs have huge leaves.Be sure to watch the video below which was shot in a grower’s greenhouse for more care tips. There’s a bit of noise in the background but that’s the water running down the walls which is part of the cooling system as well as ventilation fans. These plants grow outdoors here in Santa Barbara so if you stroll all the way to the bottom, you’ll see pictures of one in the great outdoors.
You can find the Fiddleleaf Fig in various forms like single-stemmed, multi-stemmed, full to base and standard (that’s industry-speak for “treelike”). As they age, the lower leaves tend to fall off and their stems twist and gnarl a bit. Quite a cool look.
Here’s the encapsulated version of what they need:
Light
Medium to high. One reason why they die or look bad is not enough natural light.
Water
Average. More on watering houseplants here.
Fertilizer
I give most of my houseplants a light application of worm compost with a light layer of compost over that every spring. Easy does it – 1/4 to 1/2? layer of each for a larger sized houseplant. Read about my worm compost/compost feeding right here.
Pests
They’re susceptible to mealybugs & scale.
If you want more info on this plant and many others, which you’ll welcome into your home, please check out our book Keep Your Houseplants Alive. It’s a practical guide written in simple terms with lots of pictures.
Happy (houseplant) gardening,
