Plant Care Weeping Fig

Weeping Fig

4.5 out of 5 (108 experiences)

Weeping Fig has a Survivor plant personality Survivor
Weeping Fig has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower

About Weeping Fig

The weeping fig, native to southeast Asia, is the official tree of Bangkok, Thailand. They make impressive additions to any living space, but in their natural habitat these trees can grow over 100 feet tall and provide food for many local bird species. In NASA’s 1989 Clean Air Study they were found to remove pollutants from the air. 💨

Taxonomy

Ficus benjamina
Ficus
Moraceae
Rosales

How to care for Weeping Fig

💦 Water

How often to water your Weeping Fig

Water needs for Weeping Fig
0.5 cups
every 9

Weeping Fig needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Weeping Fig

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Weeping Fig in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Weeping Fig: 1ft from a window
1ft or less from
a window

Weeping Fig love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Weeping Fig does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Weeping Fig in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Weeping Fig

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Weeping Fig: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Weeping Fig after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #Ficus
💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Weeping Fig is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

Benefits of Growing Weeping Fig →

Common Weeping Fig Problems →


💦 Water Needs

Weeping Fig prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Weeping Fig Root Rot →


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Weeping Fig requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Weeping Fig Light Requirements →

Weeping Fig Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Weeping Fig is not safe to consume. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian. If you have children, cats, or dogs in the home, we suggest keeping this plant out of reach.

Weeping Fig Toxicity to Dogs →


💨 Humidity

Weeping Fig prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.

Weeping Fig Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Weeping Fig does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Weeping Fig →


💩 Fertilizer

Weeping Fig should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!


❄️ Dormancy

It’s common for Weeping Fig to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.


🌎 Native Region

Weeping Fig is native to worldwide Tropics.


🌸 Flowers

Weeping Fig produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.

Weeping Fig Flowers →


⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Weeping Fig will branch off as it grows. To encourage branching, pinch off the newest growth at the tip and the stem will branch off into two.

How and When to Prune Weeping Fig →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Weeping Fig can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10a-12a. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Weeping Fig Temperature Tolerance →


🌱 Propagation

Weeping Fig can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:

  • Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
  • To get the cutting to root, you can either:
    • Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
    • Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.

How to Propagate Weeping Fig →


🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Weeping Fig, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!


🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.


Care Summary for Weeping Fig

Weeping Fig

Weeping Fig


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 9 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Weeping Fig has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 58
Weeping Fig has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 34
Weeping Fig has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 21
Weeping Fig has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 19
Weeping Fig has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 8
Weeping Fig has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 3
Weeping Fig has a Pest magnet plant personality Pest magnet 2
Lydia avatar
@Lydia
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 27 XP
globe Beverly, MA
11/27/2021

Easy Care and Beautiful Leaves 😍

Survivor Survivor
Pest magnet Pest magnet
@Megan avatar
@@Megan
leaf-1 66 Plants
xp 14,740 XP
globe Washington, DC
11/24/2021

As per usj with ficuses, this is a pretty dramatic plant. Still fun though! Just be warned that it might drop most of its leaves if you move it around too much. Don’t want to let it dry out too much.

@Megan avatar
@@Megan
leaf-1 66 Plants
xp 14,740 XP
globe Washington, DC
11/24/2021

The OG Ficus benjamina. Love this little tree. Like all ficus, it can be temperamental so sometimes it’ll drop a ton of leaves (which is annoying since it has SO many tiny leaves) but it’s a great plant. Not pet safe.

@PlantHobby avatar
@@PlantHobby
leaf-1 192 Plants
xp 38,735 XP
11/17/2021

A fairly low maintenance plant that just looks so pretty!

@Haysonaden avatar
@@Haysonaden
leaf-1 14 Plants
xp 432 XP
globe Toronto, Ontario
11/05/2021

Watch out for spider mites they got mind until I used some insecticidal soap to get rid of them

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@Stephanie_Swizzlestick avatar
@@Stephanie_Swizzlestick
leaf-1 10 Plants
xp 451 XP
globe Williston, ND
10/25/2021

This tree is very sensitive and doesn’t like to be moved around. Find a nice place for it and keep it there. When moved around a lot, it will lose its leaves.

Survivor Survivor
Evie avatar
@Evie
leaf-1 12 Plants
xp 412 XP
10/04/2021

I just like it a lot.

Survivor Survivor
Fast grower Fast grower
@LinaValenz avatar
@@LinaValenz
leaf-1 30 Plants
xp 4,725 XP
globe Des Plaines, IL
09/25/2021

Misting leaves, humidity, and bright lighting makes this girl happy. I’ve experimented putting her in different spots all over the house. She’s happiest right under bright light. It does love humidity but I find it’s fine with 45-60% humidity in the house.

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@LinaValenz avatar
@@LinaValenz
leaf-1 30 Plants
xp 4,725 XP
globe Des Plaines, IL
09/25/2021

I received this plant from my mom as a propagation. We didn’t know what kind of plant it was, I placed it all over the house and nothing really happened. It’s didn’t grow, but it didn’t die either. It was a really hardy plant. Thanks to this app, I was finally able to identify this plant. Once I put it in a spot with direct light it took off, this is about two years of owning this plant. M
Misting and direct sunlight are the keys to making this guy happy. Definitely recommend!

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
@notanormalparrot avatar
@@notanormalparrot
leaf-1 4 Plants
xp 370 XP
09/19/2021

My poor baby, I almost killed the thing! Key to remember she does not take well to dehydration. But, I tagged her as a survivor because, with loving care and attention, she’s back and green. Though she may be frail, she’s not dead yet.
3/5 as she’s not an easy one to take care of, but she’s rewarding if you do it well.

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
@SheLadyRed avatar
@@SheLadyRed
leaf-1 21 Plants
xp 1,878 XP
09/16/2021

This beauty is 27 years old. Originally purchased as a small plant about 3” high, I’ve nurtured it and reported it when needed. It loves the light in my sunroom and just keeps on giving.

Survivor Survivor
@cori avatar
@@cori
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 134 XP
09/13/2021

My favorite plant I have, so pretty. Really adds to the space

Survivor Survivor
@tonyathedork avatar
@@tonyathedork
leaf-1 9 Plants
xp 1,219 XP
globe Astrakhan, Astrakhanskaya oblast'
08/21/2021

Shower lover

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
@Michaklos avatar
@@Michaklos
leaf-1 32 Plants
xp 2,394 XP
globe Dundee, Scotland
08/13/2021

Such an attention seeking plant. Every now and then spurts beautiful leaves. Otherwise acts dead.

Browns easily Browns easily
@emileesheridan avatar
@@emileesheridan
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 113 XP
08/09/2021

If you don’t water it, it will flop and die

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
@TriniInXisle avatar
@@TriniInXisle
leaf-1 13 Plants
xp 1,470 XP
globe Odenton, MD
08/07/2021

I have had this plant since my first job in 2020. She has been with me through several moves and one marriage 🤐

Survivor Survivor
@savannahatkinson avatar
@@savannahatkinson
leaf-1 39 Plants
xp 1,094 XP
globe San Jose, CA
07/29/2021

I loveeee the look of this lil guy and I have a big one that is about 7 feet tall! Father and son :))) Doesn’t seem to have any difficulties it’s perfect🥺

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
@aur0ra avatar
@@aur0ra
leaf-1 21 Plants
xp 1,927 XP
07/27/2021

got this as a gift, going well so far!

@Gerg avatar
@@Gerg
leaf-1 26 Plants
xp 315 XP
globe Cheadle Hulme, England
07/20/2021

Beans was a gift from a friend so I’ve been trying my best to nurture her back to health after a near death experience. She gets very unhappy when I move her around too much, needs a lot of sunlight but not too much water. Sheds leaves very easily but with a little love, new growth will always show

Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
Sara avatar
@Sara
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 119 XP
globe Wyoming, MI
07/19/2021

This plant is super easy to take care of, and you can see new leaves growing everyday in the summertime.

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor

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