Complete Care & Troubleshooting Guide
In India, Ficus benghalensis grows into colossal banyans — the national tree, famous for forests from a single trunk. Indoors it's a tidy statement tree: oval leaves with a soft matte finish (a welcome change from glossy ficus) and a calm, upright habit.
Care. Bright indirect light suits it best; water when the top two inches dry, on a steady rhythm like its ficus cousins. It's notably more forgiving of small care errors than the fiddle leaf, though it also dislikes relocation — find its spot and stay. Wipe leaves monthly, rotate quarterly, feed monthly in growth. Prune to shape; cuttings root with effort.
Watch for: leaf drop from moves or drafts (ficus family trait), and sticky honeydew from scale. Toxic if chewed — the white sap irritates; keep from pets.