Botanical Name: Ficus benjamina
Common Name: Weeping Fig

 

Use: Outdoors and Indoors
Indigenous/Exotic : Exotic
Evergreen/Deciduous : Evergreen
Plant Type : Small tree
Flower Colour :
Foliage Colour : Green
Best Season : All seasons
Light : Semi-shade
Hardiness : Frost-tender
Attributes :
Height (m) : 1.5 - 2m indoors, 15m outdoors
Spread (m) :
    
Notes : Genus of about 800 species. Performs well as a graceful, wide-spreading tree in a large subtropical garden. The stems are arching and drooping. The leathery, glossy leaves are dark green above and lighter underneath tapering to a slender, twisted point. Grow in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Shelter from cold, dry winds. The roots are invasive. Ideal foliage plant for a patio. Propagate from cuttings. A favourite as an indoor plant. Variegated forms are available.

 

Growing Indoors
Thrives in a warm climate. Should be kept at a temperature between 15 to 21 degrees Celsius all year round. Will endure higher or lower temperatures for reasonable periods. Prefers a shady position that never receives any direct or indirect sun with high humidity. Water moderately allowing the top 2 centimetres of soil to dry out before watering again. It's a fairly easy plant to grow - only requiring basic care plus some attention to individual growing needs. Feed with a liquid fertiliser every two weeks in Spring and Summer. Water less in Winter. Often grown as a standard with a "plaited" stem. Pests and diseases: red spider mites, thrips, mealy bugs, scale insects.