Ficus

One genus, four different jobs

Sort the range by what you need and the choice becomes simple. Indoors, the Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) grows to about 3m in a container, its dwarf form 'Bambino' stops at 1.5m, and the rubber plants (Ficus elastica) run from the deep toned 'Burgundy' to the variegated 'Tineke'. For fruit, the Ficus carica varieties such as Black Genoa and Brown Turkey crop heavily and prune easily to 3m. For covering a surface, Climbing Fig (Ficus pumila) self clings and greens a wall or fence fast. And for large scale screening there are the landscape figs: Hills Weeping Fig, the native Rusty Fig and their relatives.

Matching a ficus to your climate

The indoor figs are frost tender, which is why the fiddle leaf and rubber plants live in pots and bright rooms across most of the country, though they grow outdoors in tropical and subtropical gardens. The edible fig trees are the cold tolerant exception: Black Genoa and Brown Turkey are fully frost hardy, and Brown Turkey shrugs off heat, salt and poor soil from the coast to semi arid inland towns. The landscape figs sit in between, taking light frost at most, so they are trees for the warmer half of Australia.

Planting, spacing and the root question

• Climbing Fig. Plant 1m apart to cover a wall quickly. Its clinging roots can mark render and paint, so give it masonry, not weatherboard.
• Edible figs. Give a free standing tree full sun and keep it well away from pipes and paving; hold it at 3m with winter pruning for easy picking.
• Screening figs. Hills Weeping Fig at 1.5m centres, Rusty Fig at 5m. Both have vigorous invasive roots, so allow generous clearance from pools, pipes, paving and boundaries, or grow them in large containers.

Care basics

Indoors, give figs bright indirect light, water when the top few centimetres of mix dry out, and wipe the big leaves so they can breathe. Outdoors, water new plantings deeply twice a week for the first summer and feed in spring. Wear gloves when pruning: every ficus bleeds a milky sap that irritates skin. Prune edible figs in winter, screening figs any time in the warm months.

Common questions

Which ficus is best indoors?

The Fiddle Leaf Fig remains the statement plant, 'Bambino' suits smaller rooms, and rubber plants are the forgiving choice for beginners. All want bright light without harsh direct sun; see the full indoor plant range for companions.

Are ficus plants safe for pets?

No. The milky sap in fiddle leaf figs, rubber plants and weeping figs is an irritant and toxic to cats and dogs that chew the leaves, so place them out of reach of persistent nibblers.

Will a fig tree damage pipes or paving?

Planted too close, yes. Edible figs have vigorous roots and the big screening figs have genuinely invasive ones. Keep edible figs several metres from services, and treat the landscape figs as parkland trees or container specimens.

Why is my weeping fig dropping leaves?

Weeping figs shed when their conditions change: a move, a draught, less light. Settle the plant in one bright position, water consistently, and it almost always releafs within a few weeks.

Which figs give the fastest privacy?

Hills Weeping Fig is one of the fastest hedges in warm climates where its roots can be kept clear of structures. Compare it with the other options in our fast growing privacy trees collection.