Fiddle Leaf Fig
Ficus lyrata
Toxic to cats and dogs
Loves a bright spot and hates being moved. Keep it consistent — draughts and sudden change cause leaf drop.
Toxicity
Toxic
Toxic
Source — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, toxic and non-toxic plant list; read from this species' own page
Pet-safety information is a general guide from the ASPCA's toxic-plant database and covers cats and dogs only. "If eaten" summarises the symptoms ASPCA lists for that plant; how an animal actually reacts depends on how much it ate and on the animal. It isn't exhaustive, isn't veterinary advice, and individual animals vary — never rely on it as the sole basis for a decision about your pet. If you think your pet has eaten a harmful plant, contact a vet immediately.
Care
- WaterEvery 7–10 days
- LightBright, indirect
- HumidityAverage humidity
- Temperature18–24 °C
The same interval the Sabz app schedules reminders from. In autumn and winter the app stretches it; see houseplants in autumn.
Common problems
Fiddle leaf fig brown spots on leaves
Dark brown spots starting in the centre of the leaf and spreading are overwatering, often with root rot underneath: the compost has stayed wet and the roots are dying. Let it dry a good way down, check the pot drains, and if the spots keep spreading, look at the roots and repot into free-draining compost.
Fiddle leaf fig brown edges and dropping leaves
Brown, crisp edges followed by leaves dropping is the plant drying out between waterings, or sitting in a draught from a door or a cold window. Water thoroughly when the top few centimetres are dry, and find it a spot away from draughts and radiators — it wants bright light and a stable position.
Fiddle leaf fig dropping leaves suddenly
A fiddle leaf fig drops leaves in response to change: a new home, a move across the room, a cold snap by the window, the heating coming on. Give it the brightest spot you have, then leave it there — it settles in a few weeks and the drop stops. Moving it again to fix the drop restarts it.
Similar plants
- Rubber Plant toxicFicus elastica
- Weeping Fig toxicFicus benjamina
- Air Plant safeTillandsia
- Pygmy Date Palm safePhoenix roebelenii
In the app
Add a fiddle leaf fig to Sabz and the watering interval above becomes a reminder, the toxicity verdict sits on the plant's own page, and when a leaf turns, the Check-up reads what you have actually logged to say why.
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