Weeping Fig
Ficus benjamina · the Ficus Tree
The unassuming ficus tree from the mall is a strangler-fig relative that grows to thirty metres across tropical Asia. It is so touchy that it will throw off all its leaves just because you moved it across the room.
Family
Moraceae
Origin
South and SE Asia
In the wild
Grows to 30 m
Indoors
0.6–3 m
Growth
Moderate
With pets
Toxic
Where it's from
South and Southeast Asia to northern Australia
A 30 m forest tree
A strangler-fig relative that can begin as an epiphyte and develop aerial roots.
Outdoors: zones 10–12
Frost-tender. Outdoors only in places like south Florida, Hawaii and southern California.
The tree of Bangkok
It is the official tree of Bangkok, a common urban shade tree across the tropics.
It sulks when you move it
The weeping fig is famous for dropping leaves after almost any change: a new spot, a shift in light, a draft, a cold snap, or over and under watering. It will usually re-leaf once it settles, so the cure is to stop moving it and leave it alone. Indoors it never fruits, because its specific pollinating wasp is absent.
Leaf drop is the signature
Move it across the room and it may shed most of its leaves in protest.
No fruit indoors
Its fig needs one specific wasp to pollinate it, and that wasp is not in your home.
A latex allergen
The milky sap can trigger reactions in people with a latex allergy. Wear gloves to prune.
How to keep it
LightBright, indirect
Bright indirect is best; it tolerates some sun and shade. Moving it triggers leaf drop.
WaterLet the surface dry
Water regularly in summer, letting the soil surface dry between drinks. Reduce in winter; avoid waterlogging.
HumidityAverage room airAverage to moderate room humidity is fine.
TemperatureWarm, no draftsIntolerant of cold and drafts; keep it above about 10°C and avoid sudden swings.
SoilLoam-based, well-drainingA soil-based potting mix that drains freely.
FeedingSpring to summerA balanced feed through the growing season.
DifficultyEasy to moderateEasy once settled, but it will sulk loudly after any disturbance.
With petsToxicFicin and psoralen in the milky sap. Mouth and skin irritation, drooling, vomiting.
PropagationStem cuttingsThe standard method; let the cut latex seal before potting. Air-layer leggy plants.
RepottingEvery 1–2 yearsWhen root-bound. Top-dress in the off years.
What the data says
What it costs
A mass-market commodity, sold in supermarkets and garden centres. No speculative collector market.
$15–50
Larger braided-trunk standards run $60–150 or more. Variegated forms like Starlight cost a little extra, but stay widely available.
The clean-air myth
Drag the slider. See how many weeping figs it takes to clean one room's air.
1 Weeping Fig cleans 0.1% of one room's air
You would need many hundreds to make a measurable dent. The famous 1989 NASA result came from a sealed lab box; a real room's airflow beats any plant. Indoors it is more an allergen source than an air purifier.
IUCN · Least Concern
In the wild
Abundant and unthreatened at home and in the wild, with a vast native range.
Assessed Least Concern in 2022, across a native range that runs from South Asia to northern Australia. It is at once a throwaway windowsill plant, a giant wild forest tree, and a sidewalk-cracking weed tree in warm climates.
When it sulks
Sudden leaf dropIts signature: any change in spot, light, draft, cold or watering. It often re-leaves once stable.
Leaf drop on coming indoorsNormal seasonal adjustment when it is moved inside for winter.
Leaf spots and diebackFungal or cultural problems. Improve airflow and avoid overwatering.
Sticky sapOften scale insects, or the plant's own latex dripping.
PestsScale, aphids, mealybugs, thrips and spider mites. Wipe the leaves, treat early.
Varieties & company
The varieties
DanielleStarlightVariegataGolden KingToo Little
Pairs with · keep apart from
Rubber PlantDracaenaPhilodendronCactiSucculentsSnake Plant
A new plant, every week.
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