Fiddle-leaf fig

About Fiddle-leaf fig

The fiddle-leaf fig is a tropical tree from the rainforests of western and central Africa, grown indoors for its huge, leathery, violin-shaped leaves that can reach 12-18 in long on a scarcely branched woody trunk (NC State). It is a designer favorite for a bright corner, growing 2-10 ft tall in a pot, but it has a reputation for sulking: it drops leaves when its watering, light or temperature change, so pick a spot and leave it there. Outdoors in the tropics it becomes a 60-100 ft tree and almost never flowers or fruits in a house.

Hardy outdoors only in zones 10-12 (NC State); it is grown indoors everywhere and can summer outdoors on a shaded, sheltered patio once nights stay above about 55 F, moved into more light gradually so the leaves don't sunburn (NC State, Penn State Master Gardeners).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Almost always bought as a nursery plant; it can be started from a stem cutting or by air layering, wearing gloves because of the sap (NC State, Cornell Cooperative Extension).

Growing it indoors

• Light: Give it bright indirect light or a few hours of gentle morning sun; shield it from hot afternoon sun, which scorches the leaves (NC State), and turn the pot a quarter turn now and then so it grows straight (Penn State Master Gardeners).
• Water: Water when the mix is dry about 2 in down, soaking the whole root ball until water runs out the drainage holes; MU Extension's table says keep figs evenly moist, and NC State warns it is sensitive to overwatering and drops leaves from too much or too little water. If the mix has shrunk from the pot sides, loosen it so water doesn't run straight down the gap (Penn State Master Gardeners).
• Humidity: Medium humidity suits it (NC State); Cornell Cooperative Extension says figs need at least 40 percent humidity and drop leaves in dry, drafty air, so a humidifier helps in winter.
• Temperature: Keep it above 55 F (NC State) with nights around 65 F (MU Extension), away from drafts and from heating and cooling vents, since temperature swings cause brown spots and leaf drop (NC State).
• Feeding: Feed a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer monthly during active growth (Cornell Cooperative Extension) or a dilute 3-1-2 liquid with each watering (Penn State Master Gardeners); MU Extension says none in winter when no new leaves are coming.
• Repotting: Repot in late spring after growth resumes, one pot size up, only when the roots fill the pot; figs tolerate being a little root-bound and need repotting less often than most houseplants (Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Master Gardeners).

Soil

A moist but fast-draining, loamy potting mix, slightly acidic, in a pot with plenty of drainage holes (NC State).

Pot in a fast-draining, loamy, slightly acidic potting mix in a container with several drainage holes (NC State, Penn State Master Gardeners).

Feeding

• Late spring through summer, while new leaves are coming: water-soluble houseplant fertilizer, or a dilute liquid with a 3-1-2 ratio. Cornell Cooperative Extension feeds monthly during active growth; Penn State Master Gardeners mix 1 Tbsp of 3-1-2 liquid fertilizer per gallon and use it at every watering. Water first and never feed a wilted plant (MU Extension).
• Winter: none. Skip feeding while no new growth is showing (MU Extension).

Don't repot or feed a plant that is dropping leaves after a move; that is a water, light or draft problem, not a nutrient one, and figs would rather be a little root-bound (Cornell Cooperative Extension, MU Extension).

Varieties (4)

NC State Extension names 4 cultivars.

Pests to watch for

Scale insects, Aphids, Mealybugs, Thrips, Twospotted spider mite

Diseases and problems

Root and crown rot, Leaf spots

In the kitchen

Safety: Eating any part causes burning of the mouth, tongue and lips, drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing (NC State rates it low severity and lists bark, leaves, sap and stems as the toxic parts), and the milky sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when you prune or take cuttings. Keep it away from young children.

Pets: Toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA): NC State lists it as a problem for cats, dogs and horses with oral irritation, drooling and vomiting, and the ASPCA's fig (Ficus) entry gives the toxic principles as the enzyme ficin and the psoralen ficusin, causing stomach and skin irritation; the ASPCA calls the fiddle-leaf fig mildly toxic, with mild stomach upset and sap that can irritate skin.