Ficus Audrey
Ficus benghalensis
Through the year 🗓️
☀️ Summer now
Fastest growth of the year. Water attentively in the heat, feed monthly, and rotate for an even canopy.
🍂 Fall
Taper watering and feeding as light drops, and move it closer to the window if growth stalls.
❄️ Winter
Hold feeding, stretch watering intervals, and keep it above 60 °F and out of drafts.
🌱 Spring
Repot or pot up as growth takes off, resume feeding, and prune the tip to encourage branching.
The details
Light & placement
- Light
- Bright indirect to a few hours of gentle direct sun; the more light, the fuller the tree
- Ideal PPFD
- 300–500 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹
- Grow-light distance
- 12–18 in below LED
Water & feed
- Watering method
- Water thoroughly when the top 2 in are dry and let it drain. It likes a touch more even moisture than most ficus, but never a wet saucer.
- Fertilizer
- Balanced liquid feed at ½ strength, monthly in spring–summer.
Home & habit
- Soil
- Chunky, well-draining mix (potting soil + bark + perlite); pH 6.0–6.5
- Humidity
- Average–high (40–60%)
- Temperature
- 65–85 °F
- Mature size
- 6–10 ft indoors
- Repotting
- Every 1–2 yrs in spring; it grows fast when happy
- Propagation
- Stem-tip cuttings with a node in water or moist mix; air layering for woody stems.
When something looks wrong
- Overwatering signs
- Yellowing lower leaves, brown mushy spots, wet soil that won't dry
- Underwatering signs
- Drooping, crispy brown edges, curling new leaves
- Common pests
- Spider mites, scale, mealybugs, thrips
Common problems 🩺
The usual suspects when Ficus Audrey looks unhappy. Most houseplant trouble is watering or light, not disease — see all plant problems if you are not sure which plant is the culprit.
Dropping leaves after a move
Likely cause
Shock. Audrey is more forgiving than a fiddle-leaf, but still a ficus.
What to do
Settle it in one bright, stable spot and leave it there.
Yellowing leaves
Likely cause
Overwatering.
What to do
Let the top 2 inches dry out and make sure the pot drains freely.
Brown patches on the leaves
Likely cause
Sunburn, or root damage from staying too wet.
What to do
Keep it in bright indirect light and check the roots if the soil has been soggy.
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