Fiddle leaf figs are bigger than typical home plants, which is another factor in their popularity and occasionally high cost. Many of us frequently picture flowers, succulents, and other small, low-lying plants in our living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. The fiddle fig, on the other hand, elevates conventional houseplants to a new level.
Fiddle leaf figs, according to Dandelion Chandelier, can grow up to six feet tall in most containers. But if you give them the right growing conditions, you can make them grow even bigger. Although the roots and leaves can be substantial, they are not even close to the size of the well-known fig tree.
The fiddle leaf fig’s broad leaves, thin trunk, and overall height and width make for an attractive contrast. There is no denying that this plant could seem a bit of a hassle to you if you are used to caring for modest potted house plants. The good news is that you don’t have to be an expert to own one, as you discovered in the previous section.
Do fiddle leaf figs cost a lot?
A fully mature fiddle leaf fig plant may cost around $200. However, you may obtain one for about $20 if you purchase a young plant.
Generally, the best approach to ensure that you are obtaining a healthy plant is to buy locally and in person. Fiddle leaf figs, once they reach maturity, can survive for up to 50 years. Therefore, if you can afford it, it is advisable to choose a healthy plant or a plant with a warranty.
Given the wide variations, cost should be taken into account when purchasing a fiddle leaf fig tree.
How To Get A Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree On A Budget
You can purchase a young plant if you wish to reduce costs without sacrificing quality. A young plant can be purchased for significantly less money even though it will take longer to reach maturity. Young plants will need a little more time and care, but you will be able to enjoy them for a longer period of time.
You might also ask a friend who has a fiddle leaf fig tree to start some seeds for you. Even though fiddle leaf figs are famously difficult to grow, it is the most affordable approach to produce a strong plant.
Check out Facebook or regional plant groups as well. Even if no one gives a free fiddle leaf fig tree, the plants given are typically more affordable and suited to your location.
Additionally, fiddle leaf fig trees do not require fertilization to survive, so you do not need to be concerned if your budget is limited. And although while they appreciate being slightly rootbound, if you are not fertilizing, you might want to think about aerating your plant once or twice a year.
Why are fiddle leaf figs so well-liked?
That, however, does not explain why these plants are so well-liked. According to a New York Times article by Steven Kurutz, the rise of social media (which is crucial for interior designers; psst, follow us on Instagram) has simply increased the public’s awareness of these plants because they are now featured in virtually every major design blog and Instagram account.
Simply simple, they make good photos. And if you stop to think about it, you’ve probably seen fiddle-leaf figs much more frequently online or in magazine spreads than you have in actual residences. This is due to the fiddle-leaf figs’ particular attractiveness as well as the fact that they require a lot of maintenance.
Are fiddle leaf figs in vogue these days?
The Mike Rimland, “About five years ago, a plant hunter for Costa Farms, one of the biggest houseplant producers in North America, was touring a small nursery in Southeast Asia when he saw a group of unfamiliar dark purple waxy leaves.
“Vice president for research and development Mr. Rimland, 66, claimed that he had never seen anything like it. He was raised in Miami and has 45 years of experience working in the horticultural industry.
He treks through tropical regions in nations like India, Vietnam, and Kenya for roughly four months each year in search of the “In addition to larger garden centers across the nation, Ikea, Walmart, Costco, and other retailers stock their shelves with the newest, coolest plants that will also thrive indoors.
The plant he observed, Geogenanthus ciliatus, or Geo, appeared to be extremely scarce “He compared it to Mars, noting that it had sprouts that were almost completely black and somewhat curled, as well as a leaf that was thick and had all the characteristics of a popular houseplant.
The Geo has now entered the market following years of development and recently received the coveted title of “Best New Foliage at the prestigious trade event for the sector, the Tropical Plant International Expo. It is being marketed with the dollar-sign eyes of a Timothe Chalamet film and is available for purchase at both large chain stores and independent boutiques in cities like Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Des Moines. Online adoration is starting to grow. ( “On Instagram, someone wrote, “My tiny goth baby.”
Over the past few years, sales of plants of all types have increased dramatically. According to the 2021 National Gardening Survey, nearly 38 million American families engaged in indoor houseplant gardening in 2020, spending $1.67 billion, a 28% increase from 2019.
Many fans, notably millennials and members of Generation Z, are still drawn to expensive, uncommon kinds with a sharper appearance that are sometimes sold in online auctions for hundreds of dollars. Currently, large-scale farmers like Costa Farms are working to produce the following “It grows at a time when innovative kinds quickly lose their novelty.
The quest is the ‘It’ plant, according to Katie Dubow, owner of Garden Media Group, a public relations company that offers business clients market trend advice.
Everyone wants to own it, cultivate it, and market it.
According to industry analysts, the pandemic reinforced people’s connections to their plants, and once-hip varietals began to feel dated. Former “Plants with coin-shaped leaves, such the pilea peperomioides, and the fiddle leaf fig, a staple of home design magazines, have fallen out of favor. According to Christian Esguerra, a blogger who goes by the username “crazyplantguy,” the fiddle leaf “received a poor rap in part because it is harder to care for than it seems.) The pink princess is about to disappear, the raven zz had its time, and the philodendron birkin momentarily attracted attention.
Now, hundreds of plants are trendy rather than just one that everyone desires. The National Garden Bureau designated 2022 as the year of the peperomia, but alocasias, anthuriums, calatheas, and hoyas of all varieties are also in high demand.
The Thai constellation, well-known for its yellow and white splattered leaves, and the monstera albo, adored for its white paint-like patches, are examples of variegated monsteras with stripes or blotches of color. These plants have remained popular in part because of their difficult botanical characteristics to propagate.
This month, a five-leaf Thai constellation plant sold for $600 and a monstera albo cutting with five leaves sold for $500 on eBay. A small quantity of the plants were recently made available at Walmart and were priced at around $600 each for a 12-inch pot. Costa Farms, which has been trying to produce its own variation of the Thai constellation for several years, ran out swiftly. (Proceeds went to a good cause.)
The appearance has also changed. Popular plants right now usually have large, angular leaves that are pink or purple and have a lot of texture. When they are displayed, they are frequently arranged in a corner like a jungle or crammed into a growth case rather than being a single statement plant placed in a window.
According to Leslie F. Halleck, a professional horticulture and consultant, “I think style is a far bigger component of this particular wave of houseplant enthusiasm.”
The importance of shape and form aesthetics and how they relate to a person’s interior environment has increased.
Trends are influenced by a dedicated group of rare plant collectors and influencers, who crave particular species in the same way that someone may covet sneakers, watches, or whiskey. They also proudly show their collections.
“When guests visit your home and see a large staghorn fern, they ask, “What the heck is that thing?” added Ryan Benoit, a co-founder of the website The Horticult: “They’re doing well; it’s like your kids got into an Ivy League school.
Additionally, there is still a strong community of customers who claim to have an emotional bond with their plants.
Former Broadway performer Maria Failla, 33, started gardening after she lost her job at the beginning of the pandemic.
Ms. Failla, who leads a virtual garden club and is the host of the podcast “Bloom and Grow Radio,” said: “I feel like when I got into plants a part of my heart lit up that I wasn’t even connected with.
The horticultural sector, which has long relied on baby boomers’ consumer purchasing patterns, has benefited from the enthusiasm and funding from the younger generation. Breeders have been producing plants with desirable traits for a long time, such as maple trees with richer fall color. According to industry advisors, they are employing this strategy with houseplants by focusing on distinctive types with odd leaves.
“I have more than just hydrangeas. I have a hydrangea with an everlasting summer. Charles Hall, a professor of economics and horticulture at Texas A&M University, claimed that it blooms all through the summer. ” I believe that phenomenon is only now being recognized by the category of houseplants as a whole.
Mr. Rimland, who has operated a nursery in Miami near Costa Farms for more than 40 years, is familiar with the craze for houseplants that swept the nation in the 1970s. In 1981, he began “plant hunting during a time of high market saturation. He said that his ability to discover and introduce new plants offered him a competitive edge. He has visited roughly 60 nations throughout the years.
Mr. Rimland was persuaded to work for Costa Farms after a hurricane damaged his nursery in 2005. He has developed ties with small producers over time in tropical regions all over the world and continues to hunt as he always does with little anticipation of what he could discover.
He didn’t want to give the competition an advantage, therefore he avoided saying exactly where he discovered the Geo. (Due to the surge in interest in plants, other growers, both big and little, are constantly looking for new types to create and sell widely.)
Mr. Rimland claimed he abides by all local laws and conducts searches only in places that have been authorized by the authorities. “He claimed, “I’m not out there scaling a mountain harvesting rare plants.
Mr. Rimland sent few cuttings—roots and a few leaves—to the US before departing Asia. Then Costa Farms started a series of tests inside to ensure sure the Geo wouldn’t succumb to illnesses, turn brown, or drop its leaves. The company put them through tests in areas with no light, little light, and little humidity—not ideal growing circumstances for houseplants.
Why does ficus lyrata cost so much?
The fiddle leaf fig (ficus lyrata), which can reach heights of up to 10 feet inside under ideal conditions, may reach about 50 feet in tropical rainforests. It has become the “it” plant of the past ten years thanks to interior designers’ admiration of its unique foliage. The price has increased due to the demand.
Fiddle leaf plants are very sensitive to the state of the air. The list of things they dislike includes dry air, drafts, too much or too little sun, and so on.
A mature tree requires a significant investment. A huge fiddle leaf fig may be simpler to cultivate for a professional, but unless you know how to take care of one, owning one will be difficult. For this new addition, think about adding a humidifier to your home.
How old are fiddle figs?
A tropical tree with fiddle-shaped leaves, the ficus lyrata is a native of the lowland rainforests of West Africa. It has a lifespan of 25 to 50 years (if cared for properly in non-tropical conditions).
What makes it so well-liked in the design community? Most people give the tree’s large, floppy spherical leaves, which resemble violins, credit. People anthropomorphize the plant by comparing these to babies’ huge eyes in an effort to make them desire to care for it.
Of course, the majority of designers would also mention how photogenic the plant is, which undoubtedly helps.
Are fiddle leaf figs poisonous?
One of the most well-known and poisonous indoor plants is the philodendron. The leaves, which are also referred to as fiddle leaf figs, have crystals comprised of the poisonous calcium oxalate. A bite from a fiddle leaf won’t kill you if you’re an adult, but all philodendrons can be extremely hazardous to kids and animals.
What makes it known as a fiddle-leaf fig?
Have you ever questioned the origin of the name “fiddle leaf fig plant” for the Ficus lyrata? Really, it’s obvious. The plant’s name refers to its violin-like leaves, which seem like a fiddle.
The size of the leaves is also adjustable. Up to 12 inches wide, they are. Moreover, it is impressively 30 inches long.
Everybody who has a fiddle leaf fig plant in their living room is familiar with how thick the leaves are. Those broad, leathery leaves are an eye-catching dark green.
There are multiple instances of the tree growing up to 60 feet tall, taking into account the tree as a whole. To put that into perspective, a bowling lane’s length, measured vertically, is roughly 60 feet.
Is the fiddle-leaf fig a healthy houseplant?
Ficus lyrata is one of our most popular plants at Flora Grubb Gardens, our nursery in San Francisco, and we almost always have it in stock. Come get yours right now! Continue reading for advice on how to grow and take care of these plants.
The fiddle-leaf fig, or Ficus lyrata, is the ideal interior specimen plant. The plant has erect, violin-shaped leaves that are enormous, densely veined, and tall. Our retail plant shop in San Francisco almost always has Ficus lyrata on hand.
These plants are indigenous to the tropics, where they flourish in hot, muggy weather. As a result, the home grower may find it difficult to replicate these steamy circumstances, making them a little more difficult. Fortunately, they are rather resilient plants that can endure less-than-ideal conditions for a fair amount of time. Last but not least, F. lyrata are really produced as larger specimen plants. If you can place them in a floor-standing planter that will allow the plant to grow to at least 6 feet, that would be ideal. In tropical settings, trees frequently reach heights of 40 feet or more. These are not naturally trimmed down to reasonable sizes due to their enormous leaves, though they can be shaped with light trimming.
Ficus lyrata plants don’t require much maintenance. Spotting on the leaves, which is particularly obvious in a plant with such huge leaves, is one of the most prevalent complaints about these plants. This spotting is typically brought on by a leaf injury, such as mechanical harm or a mite infestation. When exposed to air, the sap of Ficus lyrata can produce these brown patches. The plants are also vulnerable to a number of leaf-spotting and fungus diseases, which are often brought on by poor air circulation and an excessive amount of moisture that collects on the leaves. By keeping the plant well-trimmed and eliminating any dead leaves or twigs that you spot, you can assist stop this form of attack.
However, if your plant is dropping leaves, it’s probably due to inadequate moisture at the roots, low humidity, and cold, dry air. To raise the surrounding humidity, try spraying the plant frequently. Finally, because these plants are particularly sensitive to high salt concentrations, flush your potting soil completely on a regular basis, preferably once a month, to avoid salt buildup.
Pests include aphids, mealybugs, mites, scale, and whiteflies can harm Ficus lyrata. If at all feasible, locate the infestation as soon as you can and use the least hazardous remedy.
Repotting: Healthy specimens have vigorous, quickly developing roots (which is pretty typical for any ficus). Try to repot the plant once a year, increasing the pot size by two to four until the plant is the required size or you can no longer handle the container. After placing plants in large containers, remove the top few inches of soil and replace it once a year with new potting soil.
Advice: Avoid often turning or moving this plant. The plant should be placed permanently, and to keep it clean, use an old T-shirt to dust it. As necessary, stake and prune. Only leaves facing the light will remain on Ficus lyrata; ones facing a darker wall or corner will wither away. If you move or reposition your ficus, be prepared for leaf loss.
Ficus lyrata need strong, filtered light. Even a little sun won’t kill them, especially if they’re in an eastern-facing window. When housed in a too-dark environment, plants won’t develop quickly.
Water: Keep it moist, but don’t let it stand in water because that will cause it to lose leaves and develop root rot.
Fertilizer: For plants that are not in ideal conditions or are recuperating from stress, apply Maxsea All Purpose Fertilizer seasonally and up to monthly.