Ficus tree care: how to choose and grow the indoor figs

Ficus is the fig genus, and about a dozen of its more than 800 species are sold as houseplants, from the rubber plant and fiddle leaf fig to Audrey, Ginseng, Altissima, Umbellata and Triangularis. All of them want bright indirect light, watering when the top 1–2 inches of soil are dry, and 65–80°F with no drafts; they differ mainly in how much shade and change they tolerate before dropping leaves.

This page covers the genus and the trendy species that do not have their own card. The three most popular figs have full care guides: rubber plant, fiddle leaf fig and weeping fig.

Which ficus to choose: species compared

Choose by the light you actually have, not by the photo. A fiddle leaf fig in a north room will lose its lower leaves within months; a rubber plant in the same spot will just grow slowly.

Quick picks by situation:

• First ficus, east or north window: rubber plant.
• Want a tree with a pale trunk that is easier than fiddle leaf: Audrey.
• Want fast height and a bright, modern look: Altissima.
• A shelf or narrow sill: Ginseng, Triangularis or creeping fig.
• A cat or dog that chews plants: none of them. See pet-safe plants instead.

The trendy species in detail

Ficus Audrey

Audrey is a named selection of Ficus benghalensis, the banyan tree of India. Indoors it grows as a single-stemmed tree with a light gray-white trunk and oval, slightly fuzzy leaves with pale green veins. It is often sold as "the fiddle leaf fig that doesn't throw tantrums": it holds its leaves better after a move and tolerates a spot 4–6 feet from a bright window. It still needs bright light to keep growing; in a dim corner it simply stops. Expect 1–2 feet of growth a year in good light. Pinch or cut the tip in spring if you want a branched head.

Ficus Altissima

Ficus altissima, the council tree, has thick, glossy, oval leaves 5–8 inches long; most retail plants are variegated forms such as 'Yellow Gem' with lime and yellow margins. It grows fast and upright, faster than a rubber plant. Variegated forms need brighter light than green figs; in low light the yellow fades and new leaves come out smaller. New leaves emerge from a pinkish-red sheath, which is normal and falls off.

Ficus Umbellata

Ficus umbellata from West Africa has large, thin, heart-shaped leaves that look almost tropical-tree soft. That thin leaf is its weakness: it loses water fast, so it browns at the edges in dry heated air and drops leaves in cold drafts. Give it 50% or more humidity, steady moisture and the brightest indirect light in the room. It is the most demanding of the trendy figs; buy it in spring so it settles in before the heat comes on.

Ficus Triangularis

Sold as Ficus triangularis, this is Ficus natalensis subsp. leprieurii, with small, flat triangular leaves. The common cream-edged form is 'Variegata'. It stays compact, around 2–4 feet indoors, and branches readily, which makes it a good tabletop fig. It needs bright light to keep the variegation and drops leaves if it dries out completely.

Ginseng ficus

Ginseng ficus is Ficus microcarpa grown so the roots swell into a thick base, often with a small-leaved F. microcarpa variety grafted on top. NC State Extension describes it as a widely used bonsai cultivar that grows faster and is easier than most bonsai species, and notes it wants temperatures above 68°F year-round. It does well on a sunny sill with a bit of morning or late-afternoon direct sun. The shallow pot is the main risk: in summer it can dry out in 3–4 days, so check the soil every couple of days.

Light: how much and from which window

Ficus are understory and edge-of-forest trees, and almost every indoor ficus problem starts with too little light. Clemson Extension recommends bright indirect or curtain-filtered sun, and its light guide puts weeping fig in the high-light group, the kind of spot near a west or south window or glass door.

From November to February most US homes do not have enough natural light for any fig. A full-spectrum grow light 12–24 inches above the crown on a timer for 10–12 hours keeps them from dropping their lower leaves. Rotate the pot a quarter turn every 2–3 weeks so the tree grows straight; a rotation is fine, a move across the room is not. More on reading your windows in our light guide.

Watering by season and pot size

Use the soil, not a calendar. Push a finger in 1–2 inches or use a wooden skewer: water when it comes out dry, then soak until water runs out of the drainage holes and empty the saucer after 20 minutes. Clemson recommends exactly this technique, plus room-temperature water and avoiding water from a home softener, which adds sodium.

Starting intervals at 68–75°F near a window:

Water sooner when the plant is under a grow light, the room is above 80°F, the pot is unglazed terracotta, or roots are coming out of the drainage hole. Water later in a cloudy week, in a cool room, in a glazed or plastic pot, or right after the plant has dropped half its leaves (it now uses far less water). Most figs sold in decorative cachepots die from water pooling in the outer pot; lift the inner pot out to drain. See our watering guide and overwatering for the warning signs.

Temperature, humidity and winter

Clemson gives 65–70°F nights and 75–85°F days as ideal for weeping fig, and the same range suits the whole group. Below 60°F growth stops; below 50°F most figs drop leaves; frost kills the leaves outright.

The winter killers in US homes are specific:

• Forced-air registers blowing hot, dry air straight into the crown. Keep the tree at least 3 feet away or deflect the vent.
• Cold glass and doors. A pot against a single-pane window or next to a patio door can sit 10°F colder than the room. Raise floor pots on a plant stand.
• Dry air. Winter indoor humidity often falls to 20–30%. Aim for 40–60% with a humidifier; misting does not hold. Our humidity guide explains why.

If you summer a ficus outdoors once nights stay above 55°F, start it in full shade and bring it in before nights drop below 55°F. Expect some leaf drop when it comes back indoors; see winter care.

Soil, pot and repotting

Use a peat- or coir-based indoor potting mix with about 25% perlite or fine pine bark, pH 5.5–6.5 (soil guide). The pot should be only 1–2 inches wider than the old one and must have a drainage hole: in an oversized pot the extra soil stays wet and the roots rot.

Repot young figs every year in spring and mature ones every 2–3 years. Large floor trees that you cannot lift: skip repotting and replace the top 2–3 inches of soil each spring. Signs it is time: roots out of the drainage hole, water runs straight through, the pot dries in 2–3 days. Step-by-step in our repotting guide and the fiddle leaf fig repotting walkthrough, which applies to any tree fig.

Feeding

Feed April through September with a liquid houseplant fertilizer at half the label rate every 2–4 weeks, or once with a slow-release product in spring. A ratio like 3-1-2 suits foliage figs; a balanced 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 is also fine. Never feed a dry plant, a plant that is dropping leaves, or one repotted in the last 4–6 weeks. Cut nitrogen on variegated forms or the pattern fades. Flush the pot with 2–3 times its volume of plain water every 3–4 months to remove salts. Details in our fertilizer guide.

Milky sap and pet toxicity

Every ficus bleeds white latex when cut. The ASPCA lists ficus as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with the proteolytic enzyme ficin and the psoralen ficusin as toxic principles. Pet Poison Helpline lists drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite and skin irritation as signs.

In practice:

• Prune with gloves and blot cuts with a paper towel until the sap sets, 1–2 minutes.
• Wash sap off skin with soap and water. Psoralens make skin more sensitive to sun.
• Sweep up fallen leaves and trimmings; pets pick them up from the floor.
• If a pet chews a ficus, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If a child eats part of one, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
• Ficus latex can cross-react with natural rubber latex allergy. If pruning gives you a rash every time, it may not be the plant for you.

More in our toxic plants list.

Why ficus drop leaves, and when to worry

Leaf drop is a ficus's universal stress response, not a diagnosis. Leaves are built for a specific light level; when it changes, the plant sheds the old ones and grows new ones. Clemson notes that figs often drop leaves after being moved or repotted and usually recover once acclimated.

Scratch a twig with a fingernail: green under the bark means it is alive and buds will appear in 4–8 weeks. A soft trunk at soil level, bark peeling in sheets and a swamp smell from the roots mean root rot; at that point, rooting a healthy top cutting is the better bet. Our dropping leaves page covers the general case.

Pests

Figs attract three main pests: scale, spider mites and mealybugs. Check leaf undersides and stem joints every time you water. Sticky "honeydew" on the floor around the pot is the classic first sign of scale. Small dark flies over the soil are fungus gnats from soil that stays wet; let the top 2 inches dry and see pestfact.com's fungus gnat guide.

Pruning and propagation

Prune in late winter or spring, just above a leaf node; the bud below the cut usually breaks within 3–6 weeks, often with 2–3 branches. Single-trunk figs (Audrey, Altissima, rubber plant, fiddle leaf) branch only after the tip is removed. The rubber plant pruning guide shows where to cut.

Propagate from 4–6 inch tip cuttings with 2–3 leaves: rinse the sap off the cut end, root in water or moist perlite at 75°F in bright indirect light, and expect roots in 3–6 weeks. Woody stems on large figs root better by air layering. Methods in our propagation guide and the rubber plant propagation walkthrough.

Why ficus do not flower indoors

Fig "fruit" is actually a hollow structure lined with tiny flowers, pollinated by specialized fig wasps that each species depends on. Indoors you may occasionally see small green figs on Ginseng or weeping figs, but they will not ripen into anything edible. Ficus is grown purely for its leaves; see large houseplants for more statement trees.