Licensed representative photographPlant Guide
Fiddle-leaf Fig
Ficus lyrata
Other known names: Banjo Fig
A large-leaved tropical fig that responds best to bright light, even moisture decisions, and a stable position.
Published source-backed guide. This guide meets Lorekeeper's published source, care-completeness, safety, and identity checks. It is source-backed, not an expert-review claim.
Toxic. Latex sap may irritate skin and is unsafe for pets to chew.
Care
- Light
- Bright indirect light with acclimated gentle sun.
- Water
- Water after the upper portion dries, then empty excess drainage.
- Growing medium
- A rich but fast-draining container mix.
- Feeding
- Feed conservatively during active growth.
- Temperature
- 60-85 F; avoid abrupt drafts.
- Humidity
- Average household humidity.
- When to consider watering
- Use observed moisture, pot weight, light, and season instead of a fixed weekday.
- Watering method
- Water after the upper portion dries, then empty excess drainage. Wet the root ball evenly and never leave drainage trapped in a cachepot.
- Repotting
- Repot only when roots, drainage, stability, or broken-down medium justify it; increase the pot size modestly.
- Pruning
- Remove damaged growth with clean tools and avoid unnecessary pruning during stress.
- Beginner note
- Treat reminders as prompts to observe. Record what you found, then complete, snooze, pause, or adjust the care item.
Observe the plant and growing medium before acting. A reminder is a prompt to check, not an automatic instruction to water.
Characteristics
A large-leaved tropical fig that responds best to bright light, even moisture decisions, and a stable position.
Names & botanical identity
- Accepted name
- Ficus lyrata
- Plant family
- Moraceae
- Plant group
- Indoor Trees
- Other known names
- Banjo Fig
- Safety
- Toxic
Latex sap may irritate skin and is unsafe for pets to chew.
Growth
- Growth habit
- Woody evergreen tree.
- Mature size
- 2–10 ft tall indoors
- Native range
- Tropical western Africa.
- Temperature
- 60-85 F; avoid abrupt drafts.
- Humidity
- Average household humidity.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Propagation
Use stem cuttings or air layering.
When you add a propagation to Lorekeeper, connect it to the mother plant so its history and lineage remain intact.
Problems to recognize
These links describe possible or look-alike relationships, not a diagnosis. Start with visible evidence and rule out alternatives.
- Excess moisture / root stress: Leaf drop has several causes; compare root moisture with recent environmental changes.
- Excess light / sunburn: Unacclimated foliage can scorch after a rapid increase in sun.
- Spider mites: Large leaf undersides should be checked for stippling and mites.
History & lineage
Ficus lyrata moved from its native western African forest habitat into global horticulture as a large-leaved ornamental tree.
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