Ficus benjamina ‘Natasja’

Species background of Ficus benjamina ‘Natasja’

Ficus benjamina is an evergreen tree native from tropical and subtropical Asia to northern Australia, mainly in wet tropical habitats.

Caring for Ficus benjamina ‘Natasja’ indoors

• Keep the upright crown evenly lit: Bright indirect or filtered daylight should reach the inner foliage as well as the top. After a move, leave ‘Natasja’ in one suitable place for a few weeks before repotting or heavy pruning.
• Watering: When the surface starts to dry and the container feels lighter, water thoroughly and let it drain. As fresh growth slows, allow more time before watering again.
• Potting mix and repotting: Choose a peat-free houseplant mix with loam and fine bark. Repot one size up when roots fill the container, emerge through the drainage holes or make the mix dry unusually fast. For larger plants staying in the same container, refresh the upper layer of potting mix.
• Maintain a steady room: Keep temperatures above 13 °C, protect the foliage from cold draughts and direct heater airflow, and aim for moderate to high humidity. Wipe dusty leaves occasionally so light reaches the close-set foliage.
• Feeding, support and pruning: Feed while the plant is making new leaves and shoots, using a foliage fertiliser as directed on the label. Pause feeding when new growth stops. No added support is needed. Shorten selected shoots just above a leaf if the crown needs shaping.
• Propagation and handling: For propagation, take a cutting from flexible young growth once the stem has started to firm, then keep it warm while roots develop. Wear gloves when pruning because the white sap can irritate skin. Keep the plant and cuttings away from children and pets because Ficus benjamina is harmful if eaten.

Problems and solutions for Ficus benjamina ‘Natasja’

• One or two older lower leaves turn yellow: This can be normal ageing. If yellowing spreads while the potting mix stays wet, excess moisture may be affecting the roots. Let the mix dry slightly and inspect the roots if the decline continues.
• Several leaves fall at once: Review any recent change in position, light, temperature, watering or feeding. Keep ‘Natasja’ in one bright, sheltered place while it settles.
• Fresh leaves stay small or pale: The plant may need more light. Increase filtered daylight gradually and check whether the next leaves grow larger and greener.
• Pale dots and fine webbing appear among the close-set leaves: Spider mites may be present. Isolate the plant, rinse both leaf surfaces and use a labelled mite treatment when needed, repeating it as directed on the label.
• Sticky foliage or white cottony patches appear on the stems: Inspect for scale insects and mealybugs. 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.

Ficus benjamina ‘Natasja’ 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 benjamina

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.