Ficus Lyrata Plant Care Guide
Featured in home and design magazines, meet the Ficus Lyrata (aka Fiddle Leaf Fig) plant. This foliage plant is ridiculously popular as it has a simplistic and modern look. It’s leaves go with just about everything, perfect for any home! The Ficus Lyrata plant can be tricky to care for, so read on so you can properly care for yours!
Why People Love This Plant
The African native Ficus Lyrata presents large, veiny, waxy green leaves on a tiny trunk. A look that is loved by home, garden, and design magazines, hence this plants extreme rise to popularity. Being from the tropics of Africa, the fiddle leaf fig plant loves those steamy conditions. However, while the ficus lyrata loves its ideal conditions, it is also a relatively tough plant that can withstand less a than ideal environment for a while. The fiddle leaf fig makes for a great focal point!
Your Guide to Care
Care: Medium. While this plant is relatively tough, it does need proper care to thrive and can be killed if not careful.
Light: The fiddle leaf fig plant needs bright, filtered light (indirect sunlight) to be at its best. Make sure to avoid direct sunlight (a little as long as it’s not in the heat of the day should be okay), as direct sun can burn the leaves, stunt growth, or even kill your plant! Alternatively, plants given very low light conditions could also see very little, if any, growth.
Water: As with most plants, the best way to tell if your lyrata needs water is to feel the soil an inch or two down. If it feels dry, water your plant. With the lyrata in particular, a lack of water will cause leaves to wilt and lose their bright color. Too much water and the leaves may drop, be careful of root rot as well. It is also important to note that the lyrata is very sensitive to salt content in the water, so you may want to flush out the soil from time to time.
Temperature: 60 to 85 F is ideal for the fiddle leaf fig plants. Make sure to bring inside (if your plant is outside) if the temperature is dropping and keep your plant away from drafty doors or windows.
Humidity: Ficus lyrata plants want humidity. Mist your plant and it will be happy!
Feeding: The ficus lyrata can be fertilized about once a month or sooner during growing season (spring and summer). It should not need to be fertilized during the winter.
Bonus
Let’s talk leaf browning. The ficus lyrata plant sometimes displays brown spots on it’s leaves or worse, drops them. First, don’t panic. This can all be part of normal growth as long as it’s not excessive. Ficus lyrata does have a sap that can cause browning when the sap is exposed to air. If you feel your browning and/or loss is excessive, this could be due to poor air flow and lack of humidity. Last, as mentioned in the watering section lyrata is very sensitive to salts, toxins, and other impurities that build up in the soil. Make sure to flush these out about once a month if possible.
Tag us on Instagram @tropicalplantsofflorida with a Lyrata selfie!
