Readers Ask: How to Care for the Fiddle Leaf Fig?
You just got yourself a fiddle leaf fig. Now, how do you help it thrive?
Ficus lyrata or more commonly known as the fiddle leaf fig is a cult favourite for indoor use and you’ll find them in many show flats. Thanks to its skinny trunk, and big, floppy, eye-catching leaves, it brings the dramatic scale of a palm tree in a more manageable pot size. If you have one or a few, here are tips and things to keep in mind to keep them green and happy.
A native of Western Africa’s lowland tropical forests, this plant thrives in wet but hot conditions, something that a homeowner may find difficult replicating in the home. Fortunately, it is a tough plant that can withstand less than perfect living situations.
With this in mind, give your relationship with the fiddle leaf fig a proper go by minding the following.
One Plant, Five Space Styles: Ficus lyrata
With this in mind, give your relationship with the fiddle leaf fig a proper go by minding the following.
One Plant, Five Space Styles: Ficus lyrata
Bright, filtered light
It is best to locate the plant where there is plenty of light but not direct sunlight.
Its leaves will grow towards the source of light so it’s best to rotate the pot once in a while to have even growth on all sides.
Tip: Consider purchasing a container with casters to accomplish this task with ease, specially with a larger plant.
It is best to locate the plant where there is plenty of light but not direct sunlight.
Its leaves will grow towards the source of light so it’s best to rotate the pot once in a while to have even growth on all sides.
Tip: Consider purchasing a container with casters to accomplish this task with ease, specially with a larger plant.
The right sized pot
While there are now more compact cultivars in the market like the f. lyrata ‘Bambino,’ the most common specimen is still the main specimen, f. lyrata which is meant to be large. Like any ficus, a healthy specimen is fast-growing with quite an aggressive root system. While it may seem like a good idea to immediately repot a small plant you got from a commercial grower into a big container, don’t. Be patient. Give it time to grow into its pot first so as not to overwhelm it.
While there are now more compact cultivars in the market like the f. lyrata ‘Bambino,’ the most common specimen is still the main specimen, f. lyrata which is meant to be large. Like any ficus, a healthy specimen is fast-growing with quite an aggressive root system. While it may seem like a good idea to immediately repot a small plant you got from a commercial grower into a big container, don’t. Be patient. Give it time to grow into its pot first so as not to overwhelm it.
Do not overwater
Give the plant a good watering once a week or so and make sure the excess water drains out the bottom of the pot as its roots are prone to rot.
Give the plant a good watering once a week or so and make sure the excess water drains out the bottom of the pot as its roots are prone to rot.
Fiddle leaf plants thrive in a consistent environment hence: right light, right pot size, and right amount of moisture. Admittedly, not all homeowners are able to commit to this. So what if you went on a holiday and came home to dried leaves? Is there hope?
To save or not to save?
It is best to check the stalk. If the stalk is shrivelled: it’s too far gone to save your fiddle leaf. But if it is still hard and strong, it can still recover. You just have to give it time do so.
To save or not to save?
It is best to check the stalk. If the stalk is shrivelled: it’s too far gone to save your fiddle leaf. But if it is still hard and strong, it can still recover. You just have to give it time do so.
At this point, the best thing you can do to help it survive is to do the same things: give it indirect sunlight, water once a week, and the warm and loving consistent temperature it likes (no extreme hot and cold, please) and leave it to recover, slowly, and on its own. It could be a good 12 months before your fiddle leaf fig starts looking really good again but hey, you will have a better story to tell than if it was a plant easier to care for.
Not up for the fiddle leaf commitment? Try the snake plant instead.
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Not up for the fiddle leaf commitment? Try the snake plant instead.
TELL US
What other house plants would you like to read about? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
Find a landscape professional near you
Browse garden ideas
See more urban planting stories here
Like any relationship, it is important to understand where the fiddle leaf fig comes from in order to better look after it, and possibly, have a better appreciation of how it behaves in your space over and above the decorative function it offers.