When we say “Ficus”, we are actually talking about a genus with more than 800 species. The three you usually meet indoors share similar needs but very different personalities. Ficus elastica is tough, Ficus lyrata is picky about light, Ficus benjamina drops leaves the second you move it.
Here is how to identify yours, understand its quirks, and do the right thing at the right time.
Quick recap
- Light: bright indirect, lyrata and benjamina more demanding than rubber tree.
- Water: regular but moderate, wait for the top inch to dry.
- Stability: do not move a settled Ficus.
- Sap: white latex oozes from every cut, wipe it off.
- Pruning: yes, and recommended, in spring.
Identify your Ficus
Three varieties cover almost every indoor Ficus.
Ficus elastica, the rubber tree. Large oval leaves, smooth, glossy, dark green or variegated cream and pink in the tineke and ruby cultivars. Most tolerant of the three. Great starter Ficus.
Ficus lyrata, the fiddle leaf fig. Huge violin-shaped leaves with strong veining. Very graphic, very Instagrammable, but also fussier. It wants its light, its stability, and does not forgive long droughts.
Ficus benjamina, the weeping fig. Small, fine leaves, often sold as a braided indoor tree. World champion of leaf drop the second something changes: a move, a draft, a light shift. Stress means undressing. Do not panic, leaves come back.
Plenova names the variety as soon as you snap a photo, which avoids buying blind when the label just says “Ficus”.
Light, the bare minimum
Every Ficus loves bright indirect light. For lyrata and benjamina, non-negotiable. An east-facing window, a few feet back from a south one, or right in front of a bright north window are all good spots.
Elastica copes with a bit less light, but growth slows and leaves get smaller.
A few specifics:
- No prolonged direct sun, it scorches the leaves into white-then-brown patches.
- No drafts, especially the benjamina. Away from front doors and poorly-insulated windows.
- Rotate the pot a quarter turn every week to balance phototropism.
Stability, the thing we underestimate
A moved Ficus is a stressed Ficus. The benjamina reacts within days with spectacular leaf drop. The lyrata takes longer but shows the same signs. The elastica handles change better.
Before placing a Ficus, choose its final spot. Light checked, no draft, far enough from a heater. Once it is there, leave it alone.
If you really must move it, do it in spring during active growth, and brace for some leaf loss. They grow back.
Watering, just enough
A finger in the pot is still the best gauge. Push a finger down about an inch. If it is dry, water deeply. If it is moist, wait a few more days.
Average rhythm:
- Summer: every seven to ten days.
- Winter: every two to three weeks, sometimes longer if the room is cool.
Classic trap with the lyrata: it hates excess as much as drought. Skip two weeks in summer and the leaves go limp and drop. Water three times a week and the roots rot, leaves get spreading brown patches.
For the rubber tree, more forgiving, you can stretch waterings without drama. For the benjamina, consistency matters.
The latex, that surprising detail
Cut a leaf or break a stem and a thick white liquid oozes out. That is latex, normal for the Ficus family, mildly irritating to skin and toxic to cats and dogs in large amounts.
What to do:
- wipe the latex with a damp cloth right after a cut,
- wear gloves if your skin is sensitive,
- keep your Ficus out of reach of pets that chew on leaves (lyrata leaves seem appealing, rubber tree less).
Pruning to make it bushy
A Ficus that grows tall without branching out ends up looking sparse. The fix: pinch or cut just above a node to trigger branching.
Prune in spring, when the plant restarts. Pick a main stem, cut half an inch above a node, and within weeks two to three new shoots come from that point.
Save the cuttings. Rubber tree cuttings root in water in two to three weeks. Lyrata is fussier to propagate, benjamina is nearly impossible at home.
Substrate and repotting
Free-draining substrate, like for a Monstera: indoor potting mix, perlite, some bark. Lyrata likes a slightly richer mix, you can add a spoonful of mature compost.
Repot every two to three years. Ficus likes to be slightly root-bound. A pot that is too big spreads out the moisture, roots rot, and the plant drops leaves. Better a pot just an inch wider.
Fertilizer
Once a month from April to September with liquid fertilizer for green plants, half the dose. No fertilizer in winter.
Common problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sudden leaf drop | Stress (move, draft, temperature shock) | Wait, change nothing, do not over-water |
| Soft drooping leaves | Long drought | Water gradually, in stages |
| Yellow leaves | Overwatering or pot too big | Space waterings, check drainage |
| Crispy brown tips | Air too dry, too far from a window | Mist, move closer to light |
| Leggy, leafless growth | Low light | Move or prune in spring |
| White spots on leaves | Hard tap water | Use filtered or rainwater |
The right reflex when something is off
Most problems come from watering. First step: check the substrate. Surface dry? Water. Wet for days? Hold off, check the pot, make sure there is a drainage hole.
When in doubt, the Plenova app diagnoses from a photo and proposes a recovery plan tuned to your Ficus variety. The reminders mode handles the rest.
A healthy Ficus grows fast. You will see a new leaf every two to three weeks in spring. After a couple of years it becomes a member of the room, on par with the furniture.
Your plants deserve more than a random app
Plenova names your plant, spots what is wrong, and reminds you of the right action at the right time.