Plant Bio

Ficus benjamina, commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok. Ficus trees can maintain their tree-like shape regardless of their size, so this makes them ideal for bonsais or for massive houseplants in large spaces. Their leaves can be either dark green or variegated. In recent years, some imaginative nurseries have started to take advantage of their pliable trunks to braid or twist the plants into different forms.

Most ficus trees enjoy bright indirect or filtered light with variegated varieties happily able to take medium light. Bright, direct light may result in scalding of the leaves and leaf loss. Ficus trees also cannot tolerate low temperatures or drafts. They need to be kept in temperatures above 60 F. (16 C.) and actually prefer temperatures above 70 F. (21 C.). Cold drafts from windows or doors will harm them, so make sure to place them somewhere where drafts will not be an issue. It’s important to maintain a relatively high humidity around the plant. Regular misting or setting the ficus tree on a pebble tray filled with water is a great way to increase their humidity, but keep in mind that while they like high humidity, they don’t like overly wet roots. Therefore, when watering, always check the top of the soil first. If the top of the soil is wet, don’t water as this means they have enough moisture. If the top of the soil feels dry to the touch, this indicates that they need water.