How to Grow and Care for Fiddle-Leaf Fig

If you haven’t given this plant a try then I hope that you will! It adds a bit of whimsy and happiness to any space it’s in.

How to Care for Fiddle Leaf Figs

I am sure you all have heard of the fiddle leaf fig tree (also known as the ficus lyrata). They have a reputation of being beautiful and also quite difficult to keep alive.

A dying or dead fiddle leaf can leave you a bit heartbroken. Those beautiful leaves start to drop and it’s a pitiful process to witness. If you’ve had one die or you’re just too intimidated to get one, then I hope this post helps.

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Potting Fiddle Leafs

You bring a gorgeous fiddle leaf home … now what? Most of these trees come in thin/cheap plastic containers when you first purchase them. I like to take my tree out of these suckers as soon as I get home. For pots, I use good ol’ terracotta pots.

My mom taught me to never use plastic pots but use clay or earthenware because it allows the soil to “breathe.” If you get an earthenware pot, make sure it has a hole for drainage. Drainage is vital to a fiddle leaf.

If you don’t have a hole at the bottom of your pot, then the water can pool inside and cause the roots to rot, which can kill your plant. Fiddle leaves don’t like to stay soggy. I will get a pot that is not much bigger than the original pot that it came in. The roots like to be somewhat snug in the pot.

Next, fill the bottom of the pot with some small stones or a drainage disc. These stones aid with drainage and also help the dirt not drain out when you are watering it.

Pour dirt all around the sides, making sure your tree stays straight. Once the sides are filled with dirt, I put my hand down along the sides and make sure the dirt is pushed down all the way.

My favorite potting mix is actually a cactus/palm mix found at local hardware stores. The potting mix has sand in it which helps keep the soil loose and also helps with drainage. I’ve used this mix for years and love it!

How Much Light do Fiddle Plants Need?

This thing loves the light!! If you get a fiddle leaf, then find a window with ample light. Be sure that it is bright, indirect light. Don’t stick it in a corner away from the sunlight (if you can help it). Its leaves love to drink up the light so keep it in a bright, sunny spot in your home.

Since the tree thrives on bright light, it is very important to keep the leaves clean from dust and dirt. If the leaves get too dusty, they can actually “suffocate” when they don’t have a clean surface. Thanks, photosynthesis!

Every week or so, I wipe the leaves with a wet cloth and get all of the dirt and dust removed. After the leaves are cleaned, I use a leaf shine spray to make them extra glossy.

Since this tree loves drinking up the light, it will eventually start leaning towards the sun. Rotate the tree slightly (some people do every time they water or once a month) and this will help keep the tree straight and balanced.

Where in my House Should I Put my Fiddle Leaf?

The fiddle leaf is not a huge fan of being moved around. It loves stability and moving it around your house can actually cause the leaves to drop. You can take it to the sink to water it, but moving it for extended periods of time can cause problems.

I never really believed this until I tried it and my fiddle leaf did indeed drop leaves. Another tip is to not have your tree in a drafty area. Near a door (especially during winter) or a vent can really irritate the tree. Find a spot in your home that’s not near a door or vent and has loads of sunshine!

Watering Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees

Overwatering your tree can be deadly and waiting too long to water it (when it is bone dry) can cause the leaves to brown and drop. I typically water mine once a week, but always check to see if it is ready to be watered. Sometimes I wait two weeks (depending on weather conditions that affect moisture levels).

To gauge whether it is ready to be watered, I stick my finger in the dirt about 3-4 inches to see if it feels dry. If I feel any moisture then I’ll wait a couple of days and check again. I’ll also lift the pot to feel if it is still heavy from the last watering.

If it feels like it has dried out then it’s ready for water. I like to water mine in the sink (although this gets difficult with large plants). Keep a pretty indoor watering can around to remind you to water as needed.

Some people like to use filtered water for their plants, but I use the good old tap water and it’s been fine for me! Run lukewarm water in the pot and really soak the whole top area of the soil.

I fill the pot with water, let the water drain down and then fill it again, really soaking it. I leave it in the sink to drain completely (it takes an hour or so) and then return it back to its spot. If you have a huge fiddle leaf and you cannot carry it to the sink, you can still give it a good watering.

Pruning and Propagating

Did you know you can make new fiddle leaf babies from cutting a branch off of your tree? I love this about the fiddle leaf tree. It’s the plant that keeps on giving! Pruning your tree will promote horizontal growth. The tree will actually grow more when you prune it.

I didn’t believe this until a local nursery worker showed me how and then showed the results. The spot where you cut will split into two new growths. If your tree is looking a little spindly or top heavy, then it might be time for a trim! A small pair of pruning shears is all you need!

To prune, find where a leaf connects to the tree (also called a node) and cut right above the leaf. I like to have my cuttings have at least 3-4 inches of bare branch on the bottom and a few leaves in the top. Once you cut if off, stick the cutting in water and place in sunlight.

Throughout the weeks, the branch will start growing roots. It’s an amazing process! You can pot your cutting once the roots have grown a little bit (I like the roots to be at least 3-4 inches long before I pot it).

This process can take a month or longer, so be patient. Change the water about once a week so it stays fresh. Follow the same potting process noted above and you should have lots and lots of fiddle babies!

If you haven’t given this plant a try then I hope that you will! It adds a bit of whimsy and happiness to any space it’s in.

If you’re really sure you don’t have the green thumb needed for live plants, or don’t have the light necessary to keep one happy in your space, try a faux fiddle leaf fig!

We love mixing in faux and real plants throughout the house so we can get the benefits of both where needed. xo. Janae

How to Grow and Care for Fiddle-Leaf Fig

Jon VanZile was a writer for The Spruce covering houseplants and indoor gardening for almost a decade. He is a professional writer whose articles on plants and horticulture have appeared in national and regional newspapers and magazines.

Debra LaGattuta is a Master Gardener with 30+ years of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. She is a lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. Debra is a member of The Spruce Garden Review Board.

The fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is a popular indoor tree featuring very large, heavily veined, and glossy violin-shaped leaves that grow upright on a sleek trunk. A fiddle-leaf fig is perfect as a focal point of a room if you can situate it in a floor-standing container where the plant is allowed to grow to at least 6 feet tall. (Most indoor specimens reach around 10 feet tall.) It’s a fairly fast grower and can be potted at any point in the year if you’re like most gardeners acquiring a nursery plant to keep indoors. Keep in mind this gorgeous plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Light

Fiddle-leaf figs require bright, filtered light to grow and look their best. Direct sunlight can burn the leaves, especially exposure to hot afternoon sun. And plants that are kept in very low light conditions will fail to grow rapidly.

Soil

Any quality indoor plant potting mix should be suitable for a fiddle-leaf fig. Ensure that the soil drains well.

Water

Fiddle-leaf figs like a moderate amount of moisture in the soil. If the plant doesn’t get enough water, its leaves will wilt and lose their bright green color. And if it gets too much water, the plant might drop its leaves and suffer from root rot, which ultimately can kill it. During the growing season (spring to fall), water your fiddle-leaf fig when the top inch of soil feels dry. And over the winter months, water slightly less.

Furthermore, these plants are sensitive to high salt levels in the soil. So it’s ideal to flush the soil until water comes out the bottom of the pot at least monthly. This helps to prevent salt build-up.

Temperature and Humidity

Fiddle-leaf figs don’t like extreme temperature fluctuations. A room that’s between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit is typically fine, though you must position the plant away from drafty areas, as well as air-conditioning and heating vents. These can cause sudden temperature shifts.

Aim for a humidity level between 30 and 65 percent. If you need to supplement humidity, mist your plant with clean water in a spray bottle daily. Or you can place it on a tray of pebbles filled with water, as long as the bottom of the pot isn’t touching the water. Plus, fiddle-leaf figs can benefit from being in a room with a humidifier.

Fertilizer

Add Fertilizer throughout the growing season with a high-nitrogen plant food, following label instructions. There are fertilizers specially made for fiddle-leaf figs available. You generally won’t have to feed your plant over the winter.

Types of Fiddle-Leaf Fig

The main species, Ficus lyrata, is the most common fiddle-leaf fig plant that gardeners grow. But there are several cultivars available as well, including:

• Ficus lyrata ‘Bambino’: This is a dwarf variety that only reaches a few feet tall.
• Ficus lyrata ‘Compacta’: This variety can reach up to 5 feet tall and features smaller, more bunched leaves than the main species.
• ‘Variegata’Ficus lyrata: This is an uncommon variety with showy leaves that are a mix of green and cream.

Pruning

A fiddle-leaf fig benefits from having its leaves pruned every so often. Cut back any damaged leaves, overgrowth, or crossing branches to let the plant breathe. Make any cuts about an inch away from the trunk to avoid any damage. If you are taking off a dead brown leaf, pull on it very gently before trying to cut it because it may come off by itself.

Propagating Fiddle-Leaf Fig

It’s easy to propagate fiddle-leaf fig with stem cuttings, and extremely difficult to do with seeds. Working with a cutting is just about fail-proof.

1. Use a pair of sharp shears to cut a stem about 12 to 18 inches long with a few leaves. Pinch off all the leaves except for one.
2. Place the vase of the cutting in a jar or vase of clean, room-temperature water and put it in a warm place with bright, but indirect light.
3. Change the water only when it appears cloudy.
4. In a few weeks, small white bumps will appear on the stem’s base that’s sitting in the water. In a couple of weeks after that, roots will grow in the water from those spots.
5. When the roots reach 1 to 2 inches long, plant the cutting in a 1-gallon pot filled with potting soil and water until damp, and continue to keep the soil moist, but not soggy or overwatered.

Potting and Repotting Fiddle-Leaf Fig

Plan to repot a young fiddle-leaf fig annually every spring. Select a sturdy container that is roughly 2 inches larger in diameter than the existing one. Gently loosen the plant from its current pot, lift it out while supporting its base, and place it in the new pot. Fill in the spaces around the plant with potting mix.

Once the plant is mature, it likely will be too large to repot. In that case, remove the first few inches of soil each spring and replace it with fresh soil.

Moreover, if you will be doing the potting work outdoors, do so when the temperature is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything colder can cause too much stress for the fiddle-leaf fig.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

These plants don’t have serious pest or disease issues, but they can be prone to spider mites, scale insects, and bacterial or fungal diseases. With these issues, you might notice leaf damage, such as spots or dark patches, as well as small bugs on the leaves. Treat the issue as soon as possible with an appropriate fungicide, pesticide, or other remedy. And make sure your plant has adequate air circulation and isn’t sitting in overly damp conditions, which can help to prevent future problems.

Common Problems With Fiddle-Leaf Fig

A fiddle-leaf fig plant can be sensitive to its environment and watering schedule, so when something is off, you can tell by the behavior of its leaves. The plant can develop spots on leaves or drop leaves, sometimes at a fast rate. Be on the lookout for the first signs of leaf distress.

Bleached Leaves

If you see light brown or bleached spots on the top of the leaves, the plant may be getting too much direct sunlight. This is called leaf sunburn or leaf scorch. In the case of a fiddle-leaf fig plant, you can prune the leaf with sharp shears and relocate your plant away from sitting near the direct and harsh rays of the sun.

Brown Spots on Leaves

If your green leaves develop dark brown spots or browning edges, the plant may be suffering from root rot from sitting in too much water. Check the roots to see if they are brown and mushy. Cut away the spotted leaves and gently cut mushy parts of the roots. Repot and monitor your watering to make sure the plant is not overwatered.

Brown spots can also mean the plant is experiencing extreme temperature swings, check around for drafty spots or heating/cooling units or vents, and move the plant away to a consistently warmer location.

Yellowing Leaves

If newer fiddle-leaf fig leaves are yellowing, it may indicate a bacterial problem. It may be too late to save the plant. But try cutting off the affected leaves and repotting the plant in fresh soil.

Dropping Leaves

When a fiddle-leaf fig loses its leaves, it’s generally a sign that the plant is getting too much or not enough water. In addition, the plant may be exposed to extreme temperature changes, which can also make the plant drop leaves. Move the plant away from any heating or air conditioning units, vents, or drafty areas. Pull back on watering a bit so the soil is never soggy and only slightly moist.

Fiddle-leaf figs can be finicky at times, but they can easily thrive with proper conditions and care. They need warmth, humidity, a lot of bright, indirect light, some direct light, and plenty of water. Even though they love water, watch out for overwatering.