Ben

Ficus benjamina

Ficus Benjamina; Benjamin tree; Java fig; Java tree; Small-leaved rubber plant; Tropic laurel

• 
  Bright light
• 
  Easy care

• Ficus benjamina likes...
  • 
    Light watering

    He likes his soil gently moist, but never soggy. Water him when the top two inches of soil are dry.

  • 
    Medium light

    Somewhere bright but away from direct sun is ideal. If he drops leaves, he probably needs more light.

  • 
    Humidity

    He loves moist air and absorbs a lot of water through his leaves. Frequent misting will keep that greenery healthy.

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Ficus benjamina

  Nickname

  Benjamin tree; Java fig; Java tree; Small-leaved rubber plant; Tropic laurel; weeping fig; Benjamin fig

  Plant type

  Evergreen shrub, indoor

  Air purifying

  Yes

  Plant height (including pot)

  90-100cm; 120-130cm

  Pet/baby safe

  Mildly toxic if ingested

  Nursery pot size

  21cm; 27cm

• About ficus benjamina

  If you encountered ficus benjamina in the wild, mostly in Asia or Australia, you could expect it to be as tall as 30 metres. Don’t panic that you’re going to need to smash a hole in your roof. Our indoor version is much more compact.

  With its abundance of dark green glossy leaves it makes a very stylish houseplant. It’s pretty simple to take care of too. It will tolerate lower light, but prefers bright, indirect light, and just asks that it not be allowed to dry out. You can also encourage it to grow more strongly by giving it a feed with plant fertiliser once a month in spring and summer.

  In the wild it will bear small orange-red edible fruit, but don’t expect yours to fruit indoors. Enjoy it for its leafy handsomeness.

  If it sheds some leaves shortly after delivery, don't worry. It's just its way of adjusting to new light and temperature levels. A bit of leaf drop throughout the year is normal, especially in winter. It has so many leaves that it can spare losing a few.

  Did you know?

  The ficus is the official tree of Bangkok. We are not sure what benefits this title affords it, to be honest.