Ficus benjamina ‘Green Kinky’

Origin and species background of Ficus benjamina ‘Green Kinky’

‘Green Kinky’ was first noticed as a solid-green branch on a variegated ‘Kinky’ plant in a greenhouse in Langeweg, the Netherlands, in February 2008. Cuttings from that branch grew with the same compact shape, free branching and dark-green leaves, becoming the cultivar now known as ‘Green Kinky’.

The species Ficus benjamina is native across tropical and subtropical Asia and northern Australia, mainly in wet tropical habitats.

Keeping Ficus benjamina ‘Green Kinky’ healthy

• Light: Place ‘Green Kinky’ in bright indirect or filtered daylight so the inner foliage receives light too. Keep the position stable after a move while the plant adjusts.
• Temperature, humidity and airflow: Leave some space around the plant so air can move through the leaves. Keep the room above 13 °C, avoid cold draughts and concentrated heater air, and use a humidifier if the air stays very dry.
• Watering: Let the surface begin drying and wait for the container to feel lighter before watering thoroughly. Allow free drainage, and wait longer between waterings when growth slows.
• When to repot: Choose a peat-free houseplant mix with loam and fine bark. Move up one pot size when roots fill the container or the mix starts drying much faster. Refresh the top layer of mix on a larger plant that is staying in the same pot.
• Feeding, support and pruning: Feed while the plant is making new growth, following the fertiliser label. Pause feeding when fresh growth stops. The compact plant does not need a climbing support. Shorten individual branches above a leaf or side shoot when they extend beyond the crown.
• Propagation and safety: For propagation, take a healthy cutting from a young stem that is starting to firm and keep it warm until roots develop. Wear gloves when cutting because the white sap may irritate skin, and keep the plant away from children and pets because Ficus benjamina is harmful if eaten.

Common problems in Ficus benjamina ‘Green Kinky’

• The crown becomes thin or strongly one-sided: Look at where the light is coming from, then check for recent leaf drop, pests and potting mix that stays wet. If new shoots are leaning towards the window, increase filtered light and turn the pot in small stages.
• Green leaves start falling: A move, lower light, cold air, wet roots or excess fertiliser may be involved. Correct the most obvious change and give the plant a stable bright position while it settles.
• Fine webbing appears deep inside the foliage: Check for tiny pale spots on the leaves; together these signs point to spider mites. Isolate the plant, rinse the foliage thoroughly and use a treatment labelled for spider mites if needed. Repeat it as directed on the label.
• Sticky leaves or hidden white cottony patches appear among the branches: Scale insects or mealybugs can shelter inside the dense crown. Remove visible pests, separate the plant from others and use a treatment labelled for the pest you identify. Repeat it as directed on the label.
• The foliage yellows while the mix around the roots stays wet: Prolonged wetness may have damaged the roots. Check them for rot. Cut all soft, dark damaged roots back to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool, discard the damaged material and repot in fresh, freely draining mix.

Ficus benjamina ‘Green Kinky’ 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.

What does Ficus benjamina mean, and who first published it?

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.