Ficus benjamina ‘Anastasia’

Where the species behind Ficus benjamina ‘Anastasia’ grows naturally

Ficus benjamina ranges across tropical and subtropical Asia to northern Australia, where it grows as an evergreen tree in wet tropical habitats.

How to care for Ficus benjamina ‘Anastasia’

• Choose the position first: Give the whole crown bright indirect or filtered daylight. Once ‘Anastasia’ is in a suitable position, keep it there while it adjusts and leave repotting, substantial pruning and regular feeding for a few weeks.
• Use the pot as a watering cue: Water when the surface has started to dry and the container feels noticeably lighter. Wet the mix thoroughly, let it drain, and wait longer before watering again when growth slows.
• Potting mix and repotting: Use a peat-free houseplant mix with loam and fine bark that holds some moisture while still draining freely. Repot when roots fill the container, show at the drainage holes or make the pot dry much faster after a thorough watering. For a large specimen staying in the same container, replace the upper layer of old mix with fresh mix.
• Protect the foliage from extremes: Keep temperatures above 13 °C and avoid cold draughts or concentrated heater air. Moderate to high humidity is suitable; a humidifier is useful in persistently dry rooms.
• Feeding, support and pruning: Use a foliage-plant fertiliser as directed on the label while new leaves and shoots are growing. Pause regular feeding once new growth stops. It does not need a moss pole. Shorten a long shoot just above a leaf when shaping is needed.
• Propagation and safety: For propagation, take a cutting from a healthy young stem once it has started to firm but still bends easily. Keep it warm until it roots. The white sap can irritate skin and may trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive people, so wear gloves when cutting. Keep the plant and fresh cuttings out of reach of children and pets because Ficus benjamina is harmful if eaten.

Common problems in Ficus benjamina ‘Anastasia’

• A branch starts making only green leaves: The shoot has lost the selected variegation. Follow it back to patterned growth and remove the entire green shoot with a clean tool.
• Green leaves drop soon after the plant is moved: Check for a change in light, a cold draught, very wet potting mix or recent heavy feeding. Keep ‘Anastasia’ in one bright, warm position and use the condition of the mix to decide when the next watering is due.
• Pale speckles and fine webbing appear: Spider mites are likely. Isolate the plant, rinse both sides of the foliage and use an indoor-plant product labelled for spider mites if they remain. Follow the treatment interval on the label.
• Yellowing continues while the potting mix stays wet: Prolonged wetness may have damaged the roots. Inspect them for dark, soft areas. Cut soft, dark rotten sections back to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool, discard the removed material and repot in fresh, freely draining mix.
• Leaves turn sticky or stems carry brown shells or white cottony patches: Scale insects or mealybugs may be present. Separate the plant, remove visible pests and use a treatment labelled for the pest you identify. Repeat it as directed on the label.

Ficus benjamina ‘Anastasia’ 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.

When was Ficus benjamina first published, and what does it mean?

Classical Latin ficus means fig. The epithet benjamina preserves a historical plant name used for this fig.

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 benjamina in 1767 in Mantissa Plantarum, page 129.