Meta description: The Ficus Audrey is a wonderful plant that appears similar to its fiddle-leaf cousin. See these superb care recommendations on the right way to rise the Ficus benghalensis in your house.
If you happen to’re over the fiddle leaf fig craze of 2021 however nonetheless love its appear and feel, then we undoubtedly recommend you take a look at ficus Audrey – a wonderful relative of the fiddle leaf that has darkish inexperienced rectangular leaves and a light-weight tan trunk.
On this article, we’ll evaluate the whole lot it’s essential learn about caring for this attention-grabbing ficus, together with propagation and lighting suggestions.
What Is Ficus Audrey?
The Ficus benghalensis, generally known as Ficus Audrey, the strangler fig, the banyan tree, and the Bengal fig, is called the nationwide tree of India. When grown open air in its native setting, it’s identified to have a big cover that may present loads of shade. As an indoor plant, its enticing vibrant leaves make it an announcement plant that may gentle up any room. It often prefers some direct gentle and doesn’t tolerate low-light situations nicely.
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Ficus Household And Origins
The Ficus Audrey is a part of the Maraceae Household and the genus ficus. It’s native to the Indian Subcontinent, primarily in rainforests. It will get its nickname, strangler fig, due to the way in which it begins as an epiphyte, gripping different timber and suffocating them.
The Ficus Audrey is taken into account a sacred tree in India, and it’s usually constructed round temples. It’s stated that the twenty-fourth buddha Kassapa achieved enlightenment below a Ficus Audrey. Additionally, due to its massive cover, it helps create massive quantities of shade.
What Is The Distinction Between Ficus Audrey and Ficus religiosa?
The Ficus Audrey and the Ficus religiosa are sometimes confused with each other. A distinguishing characteristic of the Ficus Audrey is that it has aerial roots.
Is Ficus Audrey A Rubber Tree?
Ficus species, together with Ficus Audrey, are generally known as rubber timber or rubber vegetation. Their leaves considerably look rubbery, and the milky sap of ficus vegetation was used to make rubber at one level. That stated, most individuals are referring to shut cousins of the Audrey – the Ficus Elastica.
The place Can I Purchase A Ficus Audrey?
Ficus Audrey’s are more and more common within the houseplant world. Due to this, they are often present in most nurseries and backyard facilities. We propose you take a look at Etsy for Audrey choices if you wish to buy on-line. You’ll be able to usually get an inexpensive worth with a lot competitors on this market.
How A lot Does A Ficus Audrey Value?
Whereas costs vary relying on supplier and measurement, you possibly can count on to pay fairly a bit for a good-sized Ficus Audrey. Costs vary between $30 and $300.
How Huge Is A Ficus Audrey?
In its native India and Pakistan, the Ficus Audrey can develop as much as 100 toes tall – with a cover stretching a number of acres throughout. Indoors, you possibly can count on your Ficus Audrey to develop to about 10 toes tall, with a width of round 3-4 toes. In most conditions, it makes extra sense to prune your Audrey earlier than it reaches this measurement indoors.
How Quick Does Ficus Audrey Develop?
The Ficus Audrey is a decently quick grower in the course of the summer time and spring. The easiest way to spice up development is by rising the quantity of direct gentle the plant receives. That stated, make sure to not rapidly transition it from some direct daylight to a full day of direct gentle, because it doesn’t deal with fast modifications nicely. If you happen to see its leaves burning, it might be an indication that your ficus is getting an excessive amount of gentle.
Is Ficus Audrey Simpler to Develop Than Fiddle Leaf Fig?
The Ficus Audrey, whereas a cousin of the Fiddle Leaf, is taken into account a lot simpler to develop. This tropical plant can higher deal with inconsistencies in gentle and is all-around extra forgiving about watering – or an absence thereof, and it’s an all-around extra tolerant plant.
Due to the recognition of the Fiddle Leaf, many growers have raised the Ficus Audrey to look comparable in form to its cousin. Relying on the way it’s pruned, it may simply as rapidly look extra like a conventional tree form with a leaf cover on high.
Ficus Audrey Rising Season
Ficus timber develop within the spring and summer time months, in addition to in early fall, in lots of places. The Audrey Ficus doesn’t develop within the winter and desires much less water presently, and it is just advisable to transplant the Ficus Audrey tree in the course of the early spring.
Yesterday was Plant Appreciation Day so I’mma exhibit my Ficus Audrey I named ‘Serena Williams.’ pic.twitter.com/K2EBp3VmPu
— 𝔟𝔲𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔟𝔞𝔩𝔩🧈 (@JrayBerry) January 11, 2021
Ficus Audrey Care Wants
How A lot To Water Ficus Audrey
Let the highest 2 to three inches of soil dry between waterings earlier than totally watering. Ficus Audrey thrives in evenly moist soil and will by no means be allowed to completely dry out. Attempt to be constant together with your watering. Whereas it’s hardier than a Fiddle Leaf, it prefers a daily watering schedule. Use filtered water or let your sink water sit out for a day earlier than utilizing it in your ficus. Plan to scale back your watering frequency barely within the winter.
Be sure that your pot has drainage holes to launch any extra water. By no means let your vegetation sit in water for greater than half-hour.
Mild Want For Ficus Audrey
Choose a house on your ficus Audrey that receives a number of hours of vibrant, oblique daylight, equivalent to a south or west-facing window. This indoor tree can stand up to some direct morning and night solar however keep away from extended durations of direct daylight within the afternoon since it might burn the leaves.
In our house, we don’t have fairly sufficient gentle for our Ficus Audrey. As an alternative, we complement with an LED develop gentle.
Humidity And Temperature For Ficus Audrey
The Ficus Audrey is native to India and prefers heat and decently humid climate. That stated, the common humidity of a house ought to be okay, however attempt to hold it away from home windows or vents. You don’t need dry air to encompass it. If you happen to’re frightened about humidity – or see browning edges on the leaves – spend money on a humidifier or place your ficus in a spot with naturally extra humidity (lavatory, kitchen, laundry room).
Temperatures for a Ficus Audrey ought to be 55 levels Fahrenheit or above.
Fertilizers For Ficus Audrey
Ficus Audrey wants frequent fertilization between spring and early fall. Throughout this rising interval, plan to fertilize your ficus as soon as a month with a balanced (I recommend 8-8-8) liquid fertilizer. When you have them, you might also enrich the soil with pure fertilizers equivalent to selfmade compost, bone meal, and even worm castings!
Listed here are some nice fertilizer choices for Ficus Audrey.
| Photograph | Title | Value | Purchase |
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Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Plant Meals for Ficus Lyrata (and Ficus Audrey) – Calcium Fortified, Urea-Free and with NPK Ratio of 3-1-2 for Wholesome Roots, Stems and Leaves (8 Ounces)) | $26.99 ($3.37 / Fl Oz) |
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Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Fertilizer (21 Ounces), Home Ficus Plant Meals, Figs Fertilizer with NPK Ration of 3-1-2 for Wholesome Roots, Stems and Leaves | $23.95 ($1.14 / Fl Oz) |
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Ficus Meals – Liquid Fertilizer HighTech NPK, Root, Soil, Foliar, Plant Meals (Made in Germany) | $19.99 |
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Excellent Vegetation Liquid Fiddle Leaf Fig Fertilizer | 8oz. of Premium Concentrated Indoor Ficus Meals | Get Huge Leaves and Wholesome Vegetation | $13.99 ($1.75 / Fl Oz) |
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Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Plant Meals 6-2-4 | Liquid Houseplant for Ficus Lyrata and Ficus Audrey- Calcium fortified with balanced nutriets for nice roots, stems, and leaves | Bottle Lasts twice so long as different opponents | $11.99 ($1.50 / Fl Oz) |
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Soil Wants For Ficus Audrey
Plant your ficus Audrey in vibrant, well-aerated soil that drains rapidly. Cactus soil mixed with extra perlite would possibly work properly.
To carry your soil into this excellent zone, use gravel or orchid bark with a tiny little bit of vermiculite. You too can buy soils particularly for Ficus vegetation.
Potting and Repotting
Choose a pot with drainage holes to permit the soil of your ficus Audrey to empty accurately. The container also needs to be 2-3 inches bigger than the foundation ball of your ficus to permit for some development.
By way of repotting, you shouldn’t must do it very often. As soon as each two years is ok for this ficus. We suggest you repot within the early spring when your plant is actively rising once more. Planting within the fall, winter, and even summer time will imply that your ficus is much less adaptable.
Ultimate pH For Ficus Audrey
The Ficus Audrey isn’t as choosy about soil acidity as some vegetation. It prefers a soil that’s between 6.5 and seven.0 – so barely acidic to impartial. In case your soil is barely above this (say 7.5), that shouldn’t be too large of a priority.
In case your Ficus Audrey turns into unhealthy, I wouldn’t begin by pH ranges. An excessive amount of or too little water or gentle are the most important considerations for this plant.
New addition to the plant household Ficus benghalensis Audrey been on the lookout for this for some time pic.twitter.com/UT9VwGmKRm
— Cameron Tasker (@cam_95) January 31, 2021
Is Ficus Audrey Poisonous To Pets And People?
The Ficus Audrey’s leaves are considerably poisonous to pets, together with cats and canine, in addition to people. If the leaves are eaten, it may trigger irritation of the abdomen and mouth, in addition to vomiting. If you happen to suspect that your pet has eaten a few of a Ficus Audrey leaf, begin by contacting the Pet Poison Helpline.
Happily, the Ficus Audrey is often thought-about non-lethal.
The sap of the Ficus Audrey can be identified to trigger pores and skin irritation in some individuals and animals.
How To Propagate Ficus Audrey
Stem cuttings are a wonderful method to cultivating Ficus Audrey. Observe these strategies to domesticate your personal Ficus Audrey at house.
Step 1: Put together a small container with moistened, well-draining soil for planting the slicing. Have a look at our recommendations above on potting soil for extra particular suggestions.
Step 2: Select a stem that’s wholesome with a minimum of 2-3 leaves. Success charges can differ, so I like to recommend propagating a few cuttings. Finest case situation, all your cuttings succeed, and you may give them to family members as presents.
Step 3: Utilizing clear scissors or pruners, rigorously clip the stem and put the top into rooting hormone or rooting powder.
Step 4: Insert this finish into the potting combine, agency it down, and sprinkle the soil with a sprig bottle of water.
Step 5: Place the slicing in a heat location with vibrant, oblique gentle.
Keep a moist however not damp soil.
Step 6: After 3-4 weeks, the roots ought to have taken maintain. It is best to wait a bit of longer earlier than repotting your clipping.
When the slicing is established, you possibly can transfer it to a bigger pot.
Another choice for propagating Ficus Audrey is with cuttings in water. Right here’s an excellent video on how to try this. If you happen to go this route, remember to give your cuttings clear water to enhance the propagation fee.
Frequent Ailments And Issues For Ficus Audrey
There are a selection of pests and ailments that may have an effect on your Ficus Audrey. Mealybugs, scale, spider mites, and aphids are potential pests, as they feed on the sticky sap of the ficus.
Due to this ficus’ want for constantly moist soil, it additionally makes them a possible breeding floor for fungus gnats.
Frequent ailments for ficus vegetation are leaf spot, crown gall, anthracnose, blight and root rot. The College of Florida Extension has an excellent information on coping with these points.
Related Vegetation To Ficus Audrey
If you wish to discover one thing much like Ficus Audrey, check out these comparable Ficus Vegetation.
Ficus Lyrata Compacta – the Ficus Lyrata Compacta is well-known for its lyre-shaped, darkish inexperienced leaves. This enticing plant is mostly referred to as a miniature Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree.
Ficus Lyrata Bambino – Smaller than each the Ficus Lyrata and the Ficus Lyrata Compacta, the Bambino is taken into account the dwarf model of this common ficus. It appears nice in a window and solely grows to round 3-4 toes.
Conclusion
The Ficus Audrey is a wonderful plant that appears comparable – however is less complicated to look after – than the Fiddle Leaf Fig. Develop yours in the present day utilizing the ideas on this information.
Have you ever grown the Ficus Audrey and wish to present us the outcomes? Ship your photos to [email protected], and we could characteristic them on our weblog! These fiddle-leaf fig cousins are positive to brighten up any room.
