A great deal of houseplants are simple to develop, even for individuals who’re merely starting out in your journey as a plant mum or dad. Low-maintenance varieties like spider vegetation, pothos, ZZ plant, and aloe vera can stand as much as the occasional misstep, tolerate a wide range of circumstances, and survive occasional (or frequent) neglect.
Then there are the finicky, high-maintenance divas of the houseplant world: your light-hogging fowl of paradise, moisture-craving Boston fern, and vibrant crotons, which have a conduct of dropping these rainbow-hued leaves for individuals who loads as sneeze of their route.
One different houseplant that’s notorious for shedding its foliage with out warning? The luxurious, stately fiddle-leaf fig, which can go from being the star of your plant assortment to an outsized twig seemingly in a single day.
Why Fiddle Leaf Fig Is Not a Beginner-Diploma Houseplant
The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala
With its large, lyre-shaped leaves and talent to develop as a lot as 10 ft tall indoors, it’s pure for houseplant newbies to want to attempt rising this pretty, tropical tree.
Native to the rainforests of central and western Africa, fiddle leaf figs superior to thrive in warmth, humid circumstances with very well-drained soil and lots (nevertheless not an extreme quantity of) indirect delicate. They even revenue from being barely potbound—an expert for any beginning gardener.
That looks like quite a few vegetation we develop indoors in temperate areas, correct? Nonetheless fiddle leaf figs could possibly be comfy throughout the circumstances you current them for months or years, then abruptly endure with what seems to be a extremely small (or seemingly no) change in care.
An extreme quantity of or too little water, not enough delicate, shock from a sudden change in rising circumstances—all can set off the dreaded leaf drop. First leaves begin yellowing at their bases, then develop brown patches, then fall off utterly. As quickly because it begins, there’s nothing for it nevertheless to aim to save lots of plenty of cuttings with healthful leaves and take a look at as soon as extra. You possibly can probably nurse a denuded fiddle leaf fig once more to life, nevertheless its leaves won’t regrow of their genuine spots.
If this wasn’t traumatic enough for a beginning gardener, the reality that fiddle leaf figs are usually on the pricier side—notably for individuals who buy them nearly as good, tall specimens. That could be some large money to gamble on such a finicky, fiddly plant.
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Why Rubber Plant Is a Beginner-Nice Completely different
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
For many who’re a beginning gardener looking out for a tall houseplant with verdant jungle vibes, there’s a safer wager than a fiddle leaf fig. As a substitute of blowing your houseplant funds on a high-risk fiddle leaf fig, attempt starting with its easygoing cousin, the rubber plant, instead. This fellow member of the genus Ficus is faster-growing, merely as pretty, and moderately extra forgiving—to not level out usually further moderately priced.
If it’s the dramatic high you crave, rejoice—rubber vegetation can develop shortly, as a lot as two ft yearly in optimum indoor circumstances.
Together with their magnificence and high, rubber vegetation are loads less complicated to handle than fiddle leaf figs. Their Achilles heel is overwatering, so err on the side of neglect and you’ll simply do efficient—notably in winter, as soon as they revenue from little to no water. Maintain them away from sudden modifications in temperature, give them quite a few indirect delicate and customary humidity, and watch them thrive.
Even larger? Rubber vegetation are very simple to propagate—which implies that for individuals who do run into points, you probably can try and regrow some healthful growth solutions into new vegetation, or have the benefit of sharing props from a healthful plant with mates.
Part of the enjoyment of houseplant care is finding out out of your errors. I’ve realized further from the specimens I’ve killed (or just about killed) in my 15-year plant journey than from these I’ve helped thrive. Nonetheless there is no such thing as a motive to take a position large bucks in a fiddle leaf fig everytime you’re merely starting out. As a substitute, save your pennies and wait until you have obtained gotten the dangle of 1 factor less complicated and further moderately priced like a rubber plant instead.