There’s one plant taking over homes across America: the fiddle-leaf fig tree.
The tropical tree, known for its gestural leafs and grand presence, is popping up on home blogs, in gardening shops, and even New York City plant store The Sill is constantly selling out of the popular indoor plant. But before you drop cash on your own (they can cost hundreds of dollars), The Sill owner Eliza Blank says not so fast.
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“They are fussy,” she warns. “But if you’re lucky enough to have the right environment, they’re great.”
Here’s what Blank says you need to know about caring for a fiddle-leaf fig tree.
Sunlight: The fiddle-leaf fig tree needs moderate-to-bright, indirect sunlight and does best near windows that face south or west. South-facing windows get the most sunlight, while west gets a moderate amount of light in a day. Don’t try and stick this plant in a room that gets limited sunlight. It won’t be happy.
Water: These plants need to be watered once every week. If yours is 5-to-7-foot tall, give it about a liter of water. If you have one larger than that, it will need about a gallon. Make sure the soil remains slightly moist at all times.
Temperature: This is the hardest part about caring for a fiddle-leaf fig tree: they do not like change. Make sure yours stays in a temperature-controlled environment between 60 and 75 degrees throughout the year. If you're lucky enough to provide that, then you have a good chance at keeping yours alive and your investment well worth it.
Learn more about fiddle-leaf fig trees here. Happy watering!