Ficus benghalensis 'Audrey'

Cultivar background and the Indian banyan

'Audrey' is a named cultivar of Ficus benghalensis, a banyan from the Indian subcontinent. Its natural range is warm, with a distinct dry season.

Old banyans can send roots down from mature branches. Once these reach the ground, they thicken and help support the spreading tree.

Care for broad leaves and upright banyan growth

• Leaf position and light: Keep 'Audrey' close to a bright window with filtered light. Gentle direct sun is suitable after gradual adjustment. Turn the pot in small steps if the plant keeps leaning towards one side.
• Leaf care: The broad foliage collects visible dust, so wipe the leaves when needed. This also makes early pest damage easier to spot.
• Water: Water thoroughly after the surface has dried and the pot has lost noticeable weight. Let excess water drain away.
• Warmth and humidity: Keep the plant warm, ideally above 15°C, and away from cold draughts or abrupt temperature changes. Moderate humidity suits the leaves. Keep the plant away from very dry heated air.
• Potting mix: Use a loose houseplant mix with fine bark and perlite or pumice so the root ball remains lightly moist after watering while excess drains freely.
• Feeding: Feed at the label rate while shoots or leaves are actively developing. Pause when visible growth stops.
• Pruning, support and propagation: Use a temporary stake for a young or freshly repotted stem that needs support. Prune just above a leaf when shaping. Take stem cuttings once the stem has started to turn woody. Air layering can be used on a thicker branch. Wear gloves because the milky sap can irritate skin.
• Repotting: Repot when roots densely fill the pot, the mix has broken down and drains poorly, or the tree becomes unstable in its container.

Problems and solutions for Ficus benghalensis 'Audrey'

• Healthy-looking leaves drop soon after a move: A rapid change in light, temperature or watering can cause shedding. Keep 'Audrey' in one warm bright place while it adjusts.
• Leaves develop dry brown patches, curl or crack: Check whether the root ball has been drying too far and water thoroughly when the pot is light. If new damage keeps appearing once watering is more consistent and the room air is very dry, raise humidity around the plant.
• Brown-and-yellow spotting gradually spreads: Wet leaves and poor airflow can encourage leaf spotting. Keep water off the leaves, improve gentle airflow and clear fallen leaves from the pot.
• Lower leaves yellow while the root ball remains damp: Remove the plant from its container and inspect the roots. Trim soft brown or black roots back to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool, cleaning it between cuts. Discard the rotted pieces and replant the healthy roots in fresh loose mix.
• Silvery marks, black specks, webbing, cottony clusters or scale-like bumps appear: Check for thrips, spider mites, mealybugs or scale. Isolate the plant, then use a treatment labelled for that pest on indoor ornamental plants and repeat it as directed on the label.

Ficus benghalensis ‘Audrey’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs, and avoid contact with its milky sap.
• The latex contains ficin and psoralens, which can irritate the mouth, digestive tract, skin and eyes.
• Exposure may cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting, stomach pain or a skin rash. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or persist.

About the name Ficus benghalensis

Classical Latin ficus means fig. Benghalensis means ‘from Bengal’.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Ficus in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 1059; Joseph Pitton de Tournefort had proposed the name.

Carl Linnaeus first described Ficus benghalensis in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 1059.