Ficus Audrey

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It thrives near a bright window, kept mostly out of direct rays, and handles some sun, so an east or west window suits it. Bright shade is about as dim as it likes.

An east window is likely a good fit: a little gentle morning sun, then even brightness for the rest of the day. Come a Chicago winter, when the sun hangs low, it can slide closer to a south window.

NC State lists its parent species in full sun to part shade outdoors, which is likely why the potted cultivar can take some direct rays.

NC State also asks that it be kept at 65-80°F, away from cold drafts and sudden swings. A sill that frosts over in January is no place for those soft, fine-⁠haired leaves.

Give it a bright corner, warm all winter, where the white trunk can show.

Every 7-10 days in summer and 10-14 in winter, with two to three inches of soil drying between; NC State warns that watering sooner can bring on root rot.

NC State suggests 50-80% humidity for it. When the air runs dry, its broad leaves can crack across the blade. If that bothers you, a humidifier set near it may help, and the tree survives without one.

Its leaves keep a record. Dry, light brown patches likely mean it went too long between drinks, while spots that spread slowly in damp, still air point the other way (NC State).

Gone for a while? Two weeks is fine if it’s watered the day you leave.

A single trunk crowned with broad leaves traced in light veins, 3-8 feet tall indoors. A quarter turn now and then keeps the crown from leaning toward the window.

Its leaves run 4-10 inches long and gather at the branch tips (NC State, for the species), so the crown reads as a few dense clusters above bare wood. That leaves the floor beneath it open: a low side table or an armchair can tuck in under the canopy, a good fit for the corner beside a sofa or the end of a long bench.

In the wild, its branches put down roots of their own. Indoors, NC State lists air layering for it: wrap a branch so it roots while still attached, then cut it free as a second tree.

One trunk carries the whole crown, so as it nears 6 feet, a wide, weighty base keeps it standing.

Chewing may bring on drooling, vomiting, or a sore mouth, and its sap can irritate skin. NC State rates this fig low in severity, and the Pet Poison Helpline rates its cousin weeping fig as mild for pets.

Its milky sap can irritate skin, so gloves make pruning more comfortable (NC State).

In weeping fig, a close cousin, two compounds in the sap do the work: ficin, an enzyme that breaks down protein, and ficusin, a psoralen (ASPCA). That white, milky sap is the most irritating part of weeping fig (Clemson). For a dog or cat that chews a leaf, a poor appetite, some drooling or an upset stomach is the usual course, and it passes on its own (Pet Poison Helpline).

A child who chews a leaf may feel queasy, drool, or have a bout of vomiting or diarrhea, and it tends to settle. If symptoms don’t settle, or anything worries you, Poison Control can help, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center can help (a fee may apply).

If you want it with a toddler or a dog, trim the lowest branches as it grows so the leaves start above their reach, and pick up any that fall.

1. ASPCA: mild for dogs (rates the whole genus).
2. Merck Veterinary Manual: mild for dogs (rates the whole genus).
3. Pet Poison Helpline: mild for dogs (rates the whole genus).
4. ASPCA: mild for cats (rates the whole genus).
5. Merck Veterinary Manual: mild for cats (rates the whole genus).
6. Pet Poison Helpline: mild for cats (rates the whole genus).
7. NC State Extension: mild for kids.

Cats and dogs: Most of the leading sources agree.

Kids: No poison-centre listing; rated from university extension sources.

Happiest at 65-80°F, and it shouldn’t sit below 60°F. Keep it away from cold glass in winter. It likes 50-80% humidity and gets by at 30%.

Temperature

65-80°F

Humidity

50-80%

Spider mites, mealybugs, and scale most often find it: check under the leaves and along the veins, in leaf axils and stem joints, and on stems and midribs. Gnats in the topsoil and thrips on new leaves are occasional.

• Spider mites
• Mealybugs
• Scale insects
• Fungus gnats
• Thrips

Not many, in good light. Spider mites, mealybugs, scale, and fungus gnats turn up now and then, and root rot if the soil stays wet.

Spider mites leave pale speckles and fine webbing, especially in dry winter air. Rinse the leaves in the shower, undersides included, or wipe them with a damp cloth; if they come back, an insecticidal soap spray is the next step.

Mealybugs look like white cotton in the leaf joints; scale looks like small brown bumps on the stems and the undersides of leaves. Wipe them off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, then check again next week.

Fungus gnats are tiny dark flies around soil that stays wet. Water a little less often and empty the saucer, and a Bti product (sold for fungus gnats) clears the larvae.

Leaf spot shows as brown and yellow spots; cut the worst leaves off and keep water off the leaves when you water.

Quarter-turn it toward the light monthly and wipe the leaves about 6 times a year. Feed twice in spring and summer, and clear fallen lower leaves after a move. Prune yearly to shape it; repot every 2 years in spring.

• Feed2× a year
• Prune1× a year
• Clean leaves6× a year
• Rotate12× a year
• Sweep dropped leaves4× a year
• Repot1× a year

A good potting mix with some perlite, so it drains fast, in a heavy pot with a drainage hole; a tall plant needs the weight to stay upright.

Repot only when it’s root-bound and new leaves come in small, in late winter or spring, one pot size up.

Food keeps it growing: a liquid houseplant fertilizer in spring and summer, every month or two, and none in winter.

Broad green leaves are traced with pale veins and covered in fine hairs, which gives them a velvety feel. The trunk is smooth and white, and the soil still shows between the stems.