Name: Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata)

Type of Plant: A large growing houseplant that is quite trendy right now. Why is it popular? Because the foliage is impressive: large and dark green. This plant is native to western Africa where it grows in the tropical rainforest.

Why I Love/Hate this plant:  This plant ads dramatic greenery to your house. It can get quite large so it’s especially good for those who want to have that greenhouse look in their living space.

A Word to the Wise: Knowing that this plant grows natively in a rainforest, you can imagine the conditions that it likes: bright light but not direct sun, and humidity. If you don’t have a humid house either run a humidifier part of the time where the plant lives, or place it in a room with lots of other plants…the more plants the more humid the air.

Grow this plant in a very bright room or near a western or south-facing window. Don’t put it right in the window, however, but near it so the plant is in the light but not in the direct sun.

Put this plant outside for summer camp in late May, placing it in the shade or where it will only get dappled sun.

Water your fiddle leaf fig very well at least once a week, and be sure to have a large saucer under it so that you can soak the entire root ball well without flooding your floors.

In general Ficus don’t love being moved so place this in a very bright place as soon as you bring it home…don’t stick this one in a dark corner!

Dust the large leaves with a soft, damp cloth once a month during the winter.

The Fiddle Leaf Fig’s name comes from the fact that the large leaves reminded someone of a violin. This is not the kind of plant that makes edible figs, however. It is a handsome houseplant.

Those on a budget can start with a smaller plant and have the satisfaction of growing it on.

You can see why it’s a good idea to dust these leaves once a month…since they are so large they collect quite a bit of common household dust.