Alto

Ficus altissima yellow gem

• 
  Easy care
• 
  Most light conditions

• Ficus altissima yellow gem likes...
  • 
    Light watering

    He likes a drink whenever the top two inches of his soil are dry. He’ll need a lot less water in winter.

  • 
    Medium light

    He likes a lot of light, but he finds direct sun too harsh. Put him in a bright room, but not by the window.

  • 
    Humidity

    He absorbs a lot of moisture through his leaves. You’ll see the healthiest growth if you give his leaves a regular mist.

• Quick facts

  BOTANICAL NAME

  Ficus altissima 'yellow gem'

  NICKNAME

  Council tree

  PLANT TYPE

  Evergreen; indoor

  AIR PURIFYING?

  Yes

  PLANT HEIGHT (INCLUDING POT)

  110-120cm

  PET/BABY SAFE?

  Toxic if consumed

  NURSERY POT SIZE

  30cm

• About ficus altissima

  Ficus altissima is very similar to the enormously popular fiddle leaf fig in many ways. They both have the same thick, dark green, intricately patterned leaves. They both grow natively in Southeast Asia. The only significant different between them is that ficus altissima has oval-shaped leaves and doesn’t spread out as much as the fiddle leaf fig. That makes it a great choice for smaller spaces.

  Like its cousin, ficus altissima is a ‘strangler fig’. It starts its life growing in the branches of larger trees, then slowly grows down toward the ground, twisting around its host’s trunk as it goes. Eventually it completely envelops the host tree, killing it. All quite dramatic, but appropriately so for such a striking plant. 

  It won’t strangle anything in your home. It will just look lovely, if you give it lots of light and keep it regularly watered and misted. It will also benefit from a monthly feed with liquid fertiliser in spring and summer. 

  Did you know?

  A wild ficus altissima can reach heights of up to 30 metres.