Description:
Fiddle leaf fig gets its name from its lush, shiny leaves that are shaped like violins. The fiddle leaf fig tree can get to 40 feet in height when it’s in its native environment, and up to 6 feet or taller in your home, making it a stunning architectural statement in any room.
Botanical Classification: Ficus lyrata
Pets And Kids:
Not suitable for kids and pets. Fiddle leaf fig leaves contain crystals made of toxic calcium oxalate.
Plant Parent Care Tips:
- Fiddle leaf fig can withstand heat better than cold. The leaves will turn reddish in color if it encounters cold winds.
- Once you’ve chosen the perfect place, don’t move it! Fiddles are creatures of habit and will flourish once they’ve found a happy, sunny home.
- Rotate your tree once a month to keep it standing straight and tall. Fiddle Leaf Figs like to reach towards the light, so if you don’t rotate you’ll notice them bending over time.
- If the leaves on your new plant are covered in water spots and dust, take a damp washcloth and gently wipe down each leaf. This also keeps spider mites at bay.
General Care:
When the fiddle leaf fig grows, the leaves get heavy and the tips of the branches droop. Give it a good amount of space. Fiddle leaf figs are content as root bound plants, but you should re-pot from time to time into well-drained soil. If it needs a larger pot it may show chlorosis due to insufficient iron or manganese, and newer leaves may turn yellow as a consequence.
Water:
Water once a week or every 10 days and allow soil to dry out between watering. The number one way to kill a fiddle leaf fig is to overwater it or not allow for proper drainage. It does prefer a humid environment, so mist from time to time.
Sunlight:
Bright indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight.
Placement:
Choose an area that isn’t directly in line with an exterior door, drafty window or near an air vent. Choose a bright room, close to the window but not in direct light.
Food:
Low needs. Use general houseplant fertilizer during spring and summer (will encourage flowering). Do not fertilize in the winter.
Common Issues:
Brown Spots – Could be a sign of over or underwatering
Spider mites – Spider mites will feed on younger leaves.
Interesting Fact
Fiddle leaf is a banyan fig, which means that it begins its life high in the branches of another tree, then sends its roots down to the ground where it slowly strangles the host tree to death.