I’ve had a small ficus tree for about four years. In the last month, it’s dropping all its leaves and looking awful. What can I do for it?
In general, the ficus is an easy houseplant to grow, which is why it has always been so popular. However, they can be a little temperamental.
Have you changed the plant’s light conditions or temperature? If you make any dramatic changes the leaves can fall off. But if you get the conditions right, they’ll leaf again in no time.
For the best results, you should provide your ficus with plenty of bright light and you should always keep the soil consistently moist.
Another reason these plants are so desirable as houseplants is they eventually become large trees. And, you don’t have to re-pot them very often. In fact, they actually do better when they’re a bit root-bound. So, don’t be alarmed if you see roots growing on top of the soil in the pot.
The ficus family is a big family of houseplants. They can range from the rubber tree to the fiddle leaf fig that can also make quite a tree. A new kid on the block is the ficus ‘Alii’. It’s one of the toughest members of the family. It is not only durable, but beautiful with its strap-like leaves.
One of the most popular figs is the old stand-by, the Benjamin fig. And, it also comes in a variegated form.