The versatile and easy ficus—discover care tips and learn about the unique features of different varieties

Ficus plants are striking in both looks and size, making them popular among plant enthusiasts. Their ease of care means they can grace your home with lush greenery for a long time without much effort.

How to grow and care for a ficus

Light conditions

Ficus plants prefer a bright location. Usually, an east or west window is ideal, as the morning and evening sun aren’t too intense and won’t scorch the leaves. A south-facing window can also work if you can place the plant slightly away from the window.

Temperature

Ficus plants thrive in normal room temperatures throughout the year. During winter dormancy, the temperature should drop to no lower than about 16 degrees Celsius. Avoid drafty spots. The common fig prefers to overwinter in warmer temperatures.

Watering and fertilizing your ficus

Give your ficus plants plenty of water each time you water them. Let the soil dry out between waterings. Reduce watering in winter, allowing the soil to dry out a bit more than during the growing season.

Fertilize at every watering during the growing season, and about every four weeks during the winter rest period.

Repotting your ficus

Ficus plants are hassle-free in that they don’t need repotting every year. Repotting becomes necessary only when the pot has obviously become too small for the plant. Use good-quality potting soil when repotting.

You can add fresh topsoil to your ficus plants even without repotting, especially if the top layer of soil seems to compact too much.

Other care tips for your ficus

Large-leaved ficus plants benefit, especially in winter, from having the dust wiped off their leaves. Misting with water also invigorates the plants when indoor air is at its driest due to heating.

Ficus plants enjoy summers outdoors, provided the weather has warmed up properly and there’s no risk of frost. Choose a semi-shaded and sheltered spot outdoors.

You can prune ficus plants if a branch grows too long. You can use the cut shoot tip as a cutting. Root the cutting in water or in moist sandy soil.

Popular ficus varieties and their characteristics

Fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)

The fiddle-leaf fig is easily recognized by its roughly 30-centimeter-long, fiddle-shaped leaves. In nature, the plant can grow over ten meters tall, and even indoors it can become a small tree about two meters high.

Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)

The rubber plant can stretch up to the ceiling indoors if it gets enough light and nutrients. In its native tropics, it grows into a 30-meter tall tree. In addition to the traditional green-leaved rubber plant, it’s worth seeking out variegated varieties.

Narrow-leaf fig (Ficus binnendijkii)

There’s an enormous amount of variation in leaf shapes within the ficus genus. It’s hard to believe that the narrow-leaf fig belongs to the ficus family. Unlike other ficus plants, the narrow-leaf fig can also manage in slightly shadier locations.

Mistletoe fig (Ficus deltoidea)

The mistletoe fig is still a relatively little-known ficus species that has gained popularity among interior decorators due to its lush color and beautifully shaped leaves. Additionally, the plant is easy to care for.

Common fig (Ficus carica)

The common fig has magnificent leaves that somewhat resemble maple leaves. Of the ficus plants, it needs the most nutrients during the growing season and likes a lime-rich growing medium.

The common fig is exceptional among ficus plants in that it likes to overwinter in temperatures resembling Mediterranean conditions, about 24 degrees Celsius, and in a bright place. The plant may also overwinter at room temperature if it gets enough light and doesn’t suffer from the heat radiating from a radiator. The common fig may drop its leaves in winter but will grow new ones during spring. During the rest period, the plant should be watered sparingly, especially if it overwinters in a cool place.