Growing an Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree

Written by Rebecca Mathews
Updated: November 16, 2023
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Growing an indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree (Ficus lyrata) is simple once you’ve cracked its basic water, light, fertilizer, and temperature care requirements. Let’s take a look at how to grow a healthy and glossy indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree.

Key Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree Facts

They need:

  • Bright, indirect light near a window.
  • Water when the top inch of the potting mix has dried out.
  • Steady, warm temperature away from drafts and radiators.
  • Repotting every spring.
  • Their glossy leaves must be wiped clean of dust.

Differences Between Indoor and Outdoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Trees

An indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree is the same plant as an outdoor fiddle-leaf fig tree.

They are large plants that grow up to ten feet indoors with thick, glossy green leaves on an upright trunk. They’re native to tropical Africa, so they enjoy warm, humid conditions. They get their name from the large violin (fiddle) shaped leaves.

In tropical areas, fiddle-leaf figs are simple to grow outdoors because the environment is similar to their native lands, but once they’re indoors, you need to provide some essential care.

Selective focus images of Fiddle-leaf fig trees or Ficus lyrata. Photographed in close range with low lights.

Fiddle-leaf fig trees are native to tropical

Africa

, so they enjoy warm, humid conditions.

©Fajar Tri Amboro/Shutterstock.com

What Are the Benefits of Growing a Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree Indoors?

Fiddle-leaf fig trees need warm temperatures, so one of the benefits of growing them indoors is the ability to keep them warm all year round.

Houseplants are excellent air purifiers, according to NASA, and studies show houseplants make you feel happier. It’s the biophilic effect! Humans are not hardwired to spend their time in grey concrete buildings with no hint of greenery. This is where a fiddle-leaf fig tree can improve your life.

As far as houseplants go, indoor fiddle-leaf fig trees are relatively tough. They need water, fertilizer, light, and warmth, but they don’t need daily care and will manage quite happily when you’re on vacation.

Fiddle-leaf fig trees are really chic plants to grow indoors. They’re an interior designer and Instagram favorite.

Choosing the Best Pot for an Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig

If you want to grow a healthy fiddle-leaf fig, two pots are required.

  • A liner pot

A liner pot holds soil and roots, so it doesn’t need to be flashy but should be large enough to contain all the roots without squishing them, plus enough soil to comfortably hold the fig tree in place. Allow an extra two inches for root growth. It MUST have drainage holes so excess water can escape. Without drainage, a fiddle-leaf fig will rot and die.

  • A display pot

A display pot holds a liner pot so water and soil don’t stain your carpets and furniture. Choose whatever you like the look of. A display pot doesn’t have drainage holes, but it needs enough room to easily take the liner pot in and out for watering.

Fiddle-leaf figs generally need repotting every year because they grow quickly. Spring is a good time to repot because this is when they begin to put on their annual growth.

Select a liner pot two inches larger in diameter, gently place the fig tree in its new home, and fill the gaps with fresh new compost. Repotting can stress out an indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree, so it may drop a few leaves afterward. Don’t panic. It will grow new ones.

Large indoor fiddle-leaf fig trees can be topped up with fresh potting soil each spring. Just scrape away the top few inches of spent soil and add fresh new, nutrient-rich soil.  

Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree in White Pot

You’ll need two pots for your fiddle-leaf fig tree: a liner pot and a display pot.

©Kowit Phatipreechakul/Shutterstock.com

The Best Soil for an Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree

Indoor fiddle-leaf fig plants will quickly use up their soil nutrients, so choose good-quality potting compost. A general-purpose indoor plant potting mix will do the trick.

Don’t be tempted to use soil from the yard because it might introduce pests or diseases, and yard soil doesn’t hold enough nutrients or water for indoor plants. Potting soil is more costly but worth it in the long run.

Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree Light Requirements

Light is very important for indoor fiddle-leaf fig trees, so this bit is important! In their native habitat, fiddle-leaf figs grow beneath lowland rainforest trees that filter out direct sunlight, so replicating this will help your indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree thrive.

Choose a spot that is bright but doesn’t receive direct sunlight. Window glass intensifies light so the sun’s direct rays will burn its foliage, just like a magnifying glass. On the other hand, fig trees don’t grow in dark and gloomy corners.

When you’ve found the perfect spot, be sure to rotate your fiddle-leaf fig tree at least once a week. This ensures light reaches all its foliage and promotes even growth. It’ll stop the fig (or any houseplant) from leaning toward the light source.

Fig trees absorb light through photosynthesis on their leaves, so it’s really beneficial to keep their foliage clean. House dust (where does it all come from?) coats the large leaves and prevents light absorption, which in turn stops the fig from growing.

Keep foliage clean by wiping leaves down with a damp cloth every week. This will restore their glossy shine.

Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree in a Liner Pot

If your fiddle-leaf fig tree is indoors, ensure that it has sufficient light to survive.

©drpnncpptak/Shutterstock.com

How Much Water Does an Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree Need?

A good watering regime will keep an indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree in tip-top shape. They need moist but well-drained soil. If it’s too dry, it’ll wilt and collapse. If it’s too wet, its leaves will turn brown because the roots are rotting.

Here’s the best way to water an indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree.

  1. Press a finger into the soil; it’s time to water it when it’s dry down to an inch.
  2. If the topsoil feels damp, hold off watering and test again in a few days.
  3. Lift the fig from its display pot and put it in a sink of water.
  4. Let it soak up water for a few hours.
  5. Leave it on the draining board so excess water can drain away.

Large specimens that can’t be easily moved should be watered sparingly. Wait until the soil is dry down to an inch, then add a cup or two of water and let the soil dry out again. Don’t leave it sit in consistently soggy soil for days on end, or the roots will rot.

How often you water will depend on the temperature of your home and the season. Even though your fiddle-leaf fig tree is indoors, it will still respond to light and grow in spring and summer. It will naturally drink more water then. Fiddle-leaf figs are African rainforest plants, so they need humidity to thrive. Unless yours is in a steamy bathroom, it’s a good idea to mist the foliage regularly.

Fiddle Leaf in White Pot Being Sprayed With Water Mister

Don’t forget to mist the foliage regularly.

©Cavan-Images/Shutterstock.com

How to Fertilize Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Trees

No fertilizer is required in the dormant winter season, but when light levels pick up, your fig will start growing again. This is when fertilizer is required.

Because soil nutrients are quickly used up, fertilizing houseplants is essential. Fiddle-leaf figs need a weak solution of indoor plant fertilizer every two to three weeks in their growing season. Follow the fertilizer label instructions, and don’t be tempted to add more because that will poison the tree.

Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree in Pot by Window

Fiddle-leaf fig trees require fertilizer during their growing seasons but not during winter.

©Ashley-Belle Burns/Shutterstock.com

Best Temperature for an Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree

Fiddle-leaf fig trees like steady, warm temperatures and shed their leaves if they feel cold. In general, a steady temperature between 60 and 85 degrees F is suitable. Avoid drafts, radiators, and air-conditioned cool spots.

Troubleshooting an Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree

Indoor fiddle-leaf fig trees have a reputation for bad tempers! Here’s how to identify if it’s distressed and remedy the situation.

Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree With Brown Spots

Fiddle-leaf fig trees can be pretty needy, and issues sometimes arise out of that.

©Przemyslaw Zielinski/Shutterstock.com

Dropping leaves

Indoor fiddle-leaf fig trees drop their leaves when they need more or less water, so check that out first.

Another reason is a recent move because fiddle-leaf figs don’t like it when they’re repositioned. It’ll grow new leaves in a month or two if its new position is suitable.

Pale leaves

Bleached-out leaves indicate too much sun; move it away from the light source to a slightly shadier spot.

Brown spots

Brown spots are usually leaf scorch, so try moving it to a shadier position or away from radiators. There’s no way to get rid of scorch marks, but if they are bothering you, remove the whole leaf.

On the other hand, it can indicate a draft scorch. Is the fig tree in a chilly draft or exposed to a frequently opened window or air conditioning unit? If so, move it elsewhere.

Brown tips

If leaf tips turn brown, but there are no scorch marks, it indicates too much water.

Let the compost dry out a little, and cut back on your watering regime. You only need to water an indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree when the top inch of soil has dried out.

Yellow leaves

Yellow leaves often indicate an indoor fiddle-leaf fig tree is out of nutrients. Fertilize it and re-pot it if it has outgrown its liner.

Fiddle-leaf fig trees on the ground level are occasional yellowing victims of a dog’s cocked leg!

Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree Pests

Overall, indoor fiddle-leaf fig trees aren’t affected by many pests because they are safely inside, but spider mites and scale insect infestation can arise.

The first sign is leaf damage. Use a magnifying glass to look closely at the stem/leaf junctions and beneath the leaves. Most pests can be eliminated with neem oil or rubbing alcohol.

If those annoying fruit flies or fungus gnats get in your face, it might indicate a consistently damp potting mix. These little flies lay their eggs in damp compost, but you can let it dry out to be rid of them.

Closeup of a scale insect on a green leaf

Scale insects are one pest that can affect fiddle-leaf fig trees, even indoors.

©Cherdchai Chaivimol/Shutterstock.com

Do I Need to Prune an Indoor Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree?

Indoor fiddle-leaf fig trees don’t require regular pruning, but removing dead or damaged leaves is beneficial. Removing crossed leaves is also a good move because it promotes air circulation and cuts down the risk of mold or fungus.

To create a bushier tree, remove the top leaves, stimulating growth further down the stem.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Jantanee Boonkhaw/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Rebecca is a writer at A-Z Animals where her primary focus is on plants and geography. Rebecca has been writing and researching the environment for over 10 years and holds a Master’s Degree from Reading University in Archaeology, which she earned in 2005. A resident of England’s south coast, Rebecca enjoys rehabilitating injured wildlife and visiting Greek islands to support the stray cat population.

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