Huge, fiddle-shaped leaves on a slender trunk: the fiddle-leaf fig is the trendy tree for the living room. Once it's in the right spot, it would rather stay there.

What it does for you

The fiddle-leaf fig has glossy, fiddle-shaped leaves up to 45 cm long¹. Because it grows upright, it needs little floor space even as a stately tree². Indoors it grows about 0.6 to 3 metres tall³.

Origin & history

In the wild, the fiddle-leaf fig grows in tropical West and Central Africa³, from Guinea-Bissau to Gabon⁵. There it's a tree of 18 to 30 metres³ that grows as a hemiepiphyte⁵.

It was only described scientifically in 1894⁵. Its leaves resemble the body of a fiddle⁴ – it's also known as the banjo fig¹.

Caution

All parts contain calcium oxalate. Chewing on it irritates the mouth, causes drooling and possibly vomiting; its toxicity is considered low³. For cats and dogs, the ASPCA lists irritation of the stomach, gut and skin for figs⁶. The sticky white sap can irritate the skin and make allergies worse – wear gloves when cutting².

Care

Light. Very bright, ideally with morning sun⁷, but no harsh afternoon sun – or the leaves scorch³. If it's too dark, it grows long and thin, and the leaves turn dull or yellow⁷.

Water. Water when the top five centimetres are dry, and never leave it standing in water⁷. As a rule of thumb about once a week in summer. In winter keep the soil just slightly moist².

Temperature & humidity. Evenly warm without big swings or draughts², ideally 18–27 °C; below about 16 °C (60 °F) it risks chilling injury⁴. Medium humidity³; in dry air the leaf edges turn brown – keep it away from the radiator⁷, a tray of damp gravel helps².

Soil, pot & repotting. Peat-free, loam-based compost with fine bark, or peat-free multi-purpose compost². Every couple of years in spring into a slightly bigger pot; for large plants just replace the top 2.5 cm of soil².

Feeding. From spring to late summer with a high-nitrogen fertiliser². More isn't better: half strength is safer⁷ – as a rule of thumb about monthly.

Extras

The large leaves collect dust – wipe them now and then with a damp cloth⁷. Flowers and the round figs, green with pale dots and red when ripe, rarely form indoors³.