Ficus lyrata

Bright indirect light
Allow soil to dry before watering

It’s no surprise that people are drawn to Ficus lyrata. Large, glossy, deep green leaves are thick and other-worldly… until they aren’t. So many people struggle with keeping their Fiddle happy, so if you’ve had a hard time, you aren’t alone! Brown spots, yellowing, leaf drop, and straight up slow death can plague owners of these Instagram stars. However, if you give your Fiddle what it craves, you may soon be one of the owners wondering if your home is big enough to fit these ceiling-bound beauties. 

Your Ficus lyrata wants the brightest spot you can give it- bright indirect light is great for these and they will tolerate some direct light, especially softer morning light. Too much direct light can cause burning so keep an eye out for that. As much as your Fiddle loves light, it can do without water for long periods and really prefers the soil to dry between waterings. As with all your houseplants, Ficus lyrata needs a good draining soil- always always always make sure its container has a drainage hole to assure this important step. Overwatering is the best way to make your Fiddle Leaf mad! This means don’t let it sit in water either. 

If you see brown spots on the ends of the leaves, it may have experienced over or under water at some point. These plants can be slow to forgive a mis-step, so be patient, adjust your watering to let your plant really dry out in the top few inches of soil, and wait for new growth in the growing season. Similarly, they can be fussy about being moved around a lot, so find them a bright spot and stick to it. Yellowing leaves may be a sign of underwater as well, or can also indicate lack of enough bright light. 

One thing to be mindful of especially with your Ficus lyrata, is to remember that all plants have a natural process of old and new growth. A bit of browning, yellowing or even leaf drop can be part of the natural life cycle. A good rule of thumb is if you suspect your Fiddle is unhappy, take a look at the whole plant and ask yourself if more than a third of it seems to be ailing in one way or another. If that is the case, you probably need to adjust your light or water, or both. However, if you see a few brown spots here and there, or an older, bigger leaf drops and new growth is present, let your plant do its thing and continue its reach to the ceiling.