Ficus benjamina ‘Kinky’

Background and parentage of Ficus benjamina ‘Kinky’

‘Kinky’ is the green-and-white parent of ‘Green Kinky’. In 2008, a solid-green shoot appeared naturally on a ‘Kinky’ plant in the Netherlands and was developed as ‘Green Kinky’.

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

Indoor care for Ficus benjamina ‘Kinky’

• Give the variegated leaves enough light: Bright indirect or filtered daylight is suitable. Keep ‘Kinky’ in a stable position after arrival and allow it to adjust before repotting or heavy pruning.
• Keep the room comfortable: Temperatures above 13 °C and moderate to high humidity suit the plant. Protect it from cold draughts and strong heater airflow; add a humidifier if the room stays very dry.
• Watering: Water when the surface has started to dry and the pot feels lighter. Soak the mix thoroughly, let the excess drain and wait longer between waterings when new growth slows.
• When to repot: A peat-free houseplant mix containing loam and fine bark is suitable. A slightly larger pot is needed when roots crowd the container, show through the drainage holes or make the mix dry much sooner than before.
• Feeding, support and pruning: Feed while new leaves and shoots are growing, using a foliage-plant fertiliser as directed on the label. Once new growth stops, pause feeding. A moss pole is unnecessary. Shorten overlong stems just above a leaf when shaping is needed.
• Propagation and safety: For propagation, take a healthy variegated cutting from young growth that has started to firm, and keep it warm until it roots. The white sap can irritate skin, and the plant is harmful if eaten, so wear gloves and keep cuttings away from children and pets.

Troubleshooting Ficus benjamina ‘Kinky’

• A new branch carries only green leaves: The shoot has lost the selected variegation. Remove the whole green shoot back to the variegated growth from which it arose.
• Leaves become dry or shrivelled: The potting mix may be too dry, the room air may be very dry or strong direct sun may be reaching the plant. Check these conditions and correct the one that matches what you find.
• Green leaves fall suddenly: A move, low light, cold air, potting mix that stays very wet or excess fertiliser can cause leaves to fall. Give ‘Kinky’ a bright, stable position and check the potting mix before watering again.
• Fine webbing appears with pale speckles, or sticky foliage develops with brown bumps: The first pattern suggests spider mites; the second suggests scale insects. Isolate the plant and use a labelled treatment for the pest you confirm, repeating it as directed on the label.
• Yellowing continues while the mix stays wet: Prolonged wetness may have damaged the roots. Inspect them for rot. Cut soft, dark rotten roots back to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool, discard the damaged material and repot in fresh, freely draining mix.

Ficus benjamina ‘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.

Where does the name Ficus benjamina come from?

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.