The 850 species span a wide range of looks.
Gardeners inZones 10-11can grow ficus trees outdoors year-round.
Those in cooler zones grow them in containers that can be moved indoors when frost nears or as houseplants.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Some varieties can tolerate the chilly temperatures in Zones 6-9 with a lot of help.
Ficus sap is toxic to pets.
A sun-dappled yard or one with other trees that shield it from some sunlight is ideal.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
The soil must be well-draining.
Ficus trees won’t grow in wet areas, so give it plenty of space to grow.
Many gardeners are familiar with ficus only as a charming houseplant.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Ficus plants don’t like change.
How and When to Plant Ficus
Nursery-grown ficus trees are best planted outdoors in spring.
Add compost or other organic material to the soil to improve drainage.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Set the rootball in the hole no lower than it was in the container.
Backfill with theamended soil, pressing down to firm the soil around the roots and prevent air bubbles.
Water the tree deeply.
Credit: Michael Thompson
Add 2-4 inches of mulch around the base of the tree.
When planting ficus in a container, use a lightweight potting mixture with vermiculite or perlite.
Select a container with drain holes.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
It must offer excellent drainage.
Ficus Care Tips
Thistropical plantneeds just the right environment to grow and stay healthy.
Light
Ficus plants can be somewhat finicky about light.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Ficus requires high light levels, especially for the best coloring of its leaves.
However, some types of ficus tolerate medium to low-light conditions.
In low-light conditions, ficus tends to be sparser and can have poorer branching habits.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
They also grow slowly in less light.
Though alarming, the plant recovers once it adapts to new conditions.
Although ficus can tolerate an occasional missed watering, allowing them to dry out regularly stresses the plant.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
They also likehigh humidityand appreciate occasional misting.
Ficus plants are good indoor plants because they always need moderate temperatures.
An average of 75oF in the day and 65F at night is perfect for them.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Don’t let the temperature fall below 60F.
Sprinkle the fertilizer under the ficus and water it in.
Indoor ficus plants need a different regimen.
Credit: Blaine Moats
Pruning
Prune ficus during winter when they aren’t growing.
Keep leaves trimmed so the plant doesn’t touch the ceiling, andprune it for shape and size.
Ficus will quickly regrow, so prune when necessary.
Credit: Mike Jensen
Repot every other year to maintain a reasonably-sized tree.
Usetop-quality potting soilfor your plant, and go up a size or two when choosing a new container.
Useneem oilto get rid of them.
Choose a point on a stem about 18 inches from a shoot tip and remove the leaves.
Using asharp knife, make a shallow cut all the way around the branch.
Make a similar cut an inch or so below the first cut.
Scrape the exposed surface and sprinkle it withrooting hormonepowder.
Use twist ties to secure the top and bottom of the plastic wrap.
Roots should be visible in the sphagnum moss in a month or two.
When the root system is robust, cut the branch off just below the lower twist tie.
Take off the plastic wrap, twist ties, and moss.
Plant the new ficusin a pot filled with a well-draining soil/compost mix.
Stem Cutting
Houseplants that lack woody branches may be better suited to propagation bystem cuttings.
Cut a 6-inch piece from the end of a healthy stem, cutting just below a leaf node.
Plant it in a 4-inch pot filled with moist potting soil.
Check it every few days to see to it the soil remains moist.
After several weeks, tug gently on a leaf.
When it resists, the cutting has rooted; the plastic can be removed.
It is sometimes used to covertopiary forms.
It requires higher humidity and more frequent watering than most ficuses.
The stiff, waxy leaves are medium green on top and gray-green underneath.
Mistletoe Fig
Ficus deltoideamakes an interesting indoor shrub.
It is sometimes listed asFicus diversifolia.
It is sometimes called Alii fig or banana fig and may be classified asFicus binnendijkii.
Grow it as a multistem shrub or a branched tree.
Variegation is most intense inbright light.
Like regular creeping fig, it likeshigh humidityand moist roots.
It is also less likely to drop leaves with changes in light levels or temperatures.
The plant is sometimes classified asFicus retusa nitida.
Its coloration is most intense in bright light.
Weeping Fig
Ficus benjaminais the most widely grown ficus.
Often, several are planted in the same pot and braided into a decorative trunk.
Outdoor ficus trees planted in their natural warm-weather habitats live more than 100 years.
That depends on the variety and where it is located.
Growing a ficus in a container or as a houseplant tends to keep the plant smaller.
Some ficus are creepers or semi dwarf.
Check the plant tag for information before you bring a ficus home from the nursery.
