Light
Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux
Moraceae
Ficus lyrata
- Curated selection:
Every plant is hand‑picked for health and visual appeal, so you receive a strong, well‑established plant.
- Representative photos:
Product images show a typical plant of this variety. Natural differences in leaf number, shape or variegation are normal, your plant will still match in type and quality.
- Size details:
Listed sizes refer to pot diameter (cm) and approximate overall height (cm) from the base of the pot to the tallest leaf or stem.
- “Get What You See” items:
If you are buying the exact plant shown in the photos, this is clearly stated in the size section.
- Individual photos:
One‑off photos are only provided when this is explicitly mentioned in the size section. - For special traits or small quirks, please check the full product description.
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Your new plant has just travelled a long way and needs a calm start in its new home. For step-by-step unboxing and first-week care, check our after-delivery care guide. For deeper tips on how your plant settles in over the next weeks, read our houseplant acclimatization guide.
- Care basics , Main hub with links to all houseplant care guides.
- After delivery & first week , Unpacking, first placement, and early recovery.
- Light, How much light houseplants really need indoors.
- Watering , When to water and how to avoid root rot.
- Substrates & roots, Potting mixes and drainage for strong root systems.
- Humidity, When humidity matters and what actually helps.
- Fertilizing, Simple feeding routine without burning roots.
- Problems & pests, Yellow leaves, brown tips, bugs, and fixes that work.
- Semi-hydro, How to run low-maintenance mineral substrates.
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Ficus lyrata
Quick Care Guide
Watering
Water when ~30–50% dry
Substrate
Aerated • Moisture-buffered • Balanced organic + mineral • Medium
Temperature
Ideal: 16–24 °C • Avoid below: 10 °C
Humidity
Moist 50–60 %
Growth habit
Upright woody shrub or tree.
Support
not needed
Growth speed
Average
Max size indoors
Max. height: 300 cm • Max. spread: 200 cm
Toxicity & safety
Mildly toxic
Origin & habitat
Native to western and west-central tropical Africa
Outdoor growing
Outside from 15 °C · sheltered spot
How to read these values
These care values are quick reference points for indoor growing. Use them as a guide, then adjust for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.
For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.
- Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
- Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
- Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
- Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
- Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.
- Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
- Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
- Growth speed: expected pace under suitable indoor conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.
- Max size indoors: realistic long-term indoor size under good conditions.
- Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
- Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
- Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.
Ficus lyrata
Ficus lyrata, the fiddle-leaf fig, is a large-leaved evergreen fig with a woody trunk and broad, lyre-shaped foliage. Its leaves are glossy, leathery, and strongly veined, often widening toward the tip and narrowing through the middle to create the familiar fiddle outline.
This species is a hemiepiphytic tree from wet tropical West and West-Central Africa. Indoors it is grown as a container tree, where bright filtered light, regular watering and an airy root zone allow new leaves to harden on a woody stem.
Ficus lyrata leaf and trunk features
- Leaf shape: Large obovate to fiddle-shaped leaves can reach impressive size, with visible veins and wavy margins.
- Growth habit: Develops a woody trunk with leaves held along the stem and branching after pruning or maturity.
- Natural background: Ficus lyrata is a wet-tropical African hemiepiphytic tree; indoors it prefers warmth, bright filtered light and an airy container root zone.
- Indoor focus: Container-grown plants develop the oversized leaves and visible trunk structure, while flowers and figs are rarely part of indoor cultivation.
Large leaves and hemiepiphytic growth
In its native range, Ficus lyrata grows in wet tropical forest conditions with warmth, filtered light and steady moisture. The species can begin life above ground level in the forest and later develop woody, tree-forming growth, while indoor plants rely on their container root system for all water and nutrient uptake.
The large leaf surface reacts quickly to changes in light and watering. Leaves that expand in stable bright conditions are usually firmer and more evenly developed, while sudden movement, cold draughts or inconsistent watering can show as spotting, edge damage or leaf drop.
Care details for Ficus lyrata
- Light: Give bright filtered light, with gentle direct sun only after acclimation. Large leaves develop in bright filtered light, but leaves formed in softer indoor light can scorch if moved abruptly.
- Watering: Water thoroughly once the upper substrate has dried. Rehydrate the root ball evenly, then allow drainage so the lower roots remain aerated.
- Substrate: Use a chunky, stable mix with bark, coco chips, perlite, pumice, or similar coarse material. The mix should hold moisture between coarse particles while draining freely around the roots.
- Temperature: Keep warm, ideally above 18 °C, and avoid cold draughts. Temperature swings can reduce water uptake and lead to leaf marking.
- Humidity: Moderate humidity reduces edge stress on new leaves, especially when light and watering are already marginal. Very dry air can increase browning along the margins.
- Feeding: Feed lightly during active growth. Large leaves need nutrients, but excess fertiliser in a pot can burn roots and worsen brown edges.
- Pruning: Cut above a node to manage height or stimulate branching. Branching is more reliable when the plant is warm, bright, and actively growing.
- Leaf care: Wipe dust from the broad leaf surfaces with a damp cloth to keep the surface clear.
Ficus lyrata troubleshooting cues
- Brown patches: Check for over-wet roots, cold exposure, or abrupt sun exposure. Inspect the root ball before changing the watering routine.
- Leaf drop: Often follows a move, draught, dry root ball, or saturated substrate. Stabilise the position and let the plant rebuild through new growth.
- Small new leaves: Usually points to inadequate light, limited roots, or weak nutrition during active growth. Improve light first, then assess pot size and feeding.
- Red speckling on new leaves: Can appear when expanding leaves experience uneven moisture or pressure changes. Keep watering steadier and avoid letting the root ball swing between extremes.
- Sticky residue or pests: Check leaf undersides, veins, and stems for scale, mealybug, or mites. Large leaves make inspection easy, but pests often start along the veins.
Ficus lyrata safety
Ficus lyrata is not pet-safe. Leaves and stems contain irritating sap that can cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting, or digestive upset if chewed, and the latex may irritate skin during pruning or propagation. Keep it away from pets and small children, and wear gloves when cutting stems.
Ficus lyrata name meaning
Ficus is the classical Latin name for the fig. The species name lyrata means lyre-shaped and refers to the outline of the leaves. Ficus lyrata belongs to Moraceae and is accepted as a West and West-Central Tropical African species.
Oversized fiddle-shaped leaves and visible trunk growth give Ficus lyrata its recognisable indoor-tree form.
Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.
Ficus lyrata
Sale price€14,75
FAQs about Ficus lyrata
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