Ficus Variegated "Braided Stem"

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Ficus Variegated (Braided Stem) (Ficus benjamina "Golden King")

("FY-kus ben-jah-MEEN-ah")

£39.50

Floor Standing

Desktop

Patterned

Our Ficus Variegated "Braided Stem", commonly known as Weeping Fig or Ficus benjamina Golden King, has dense foliage and drooping habit with hard, shiny leaves, between 5cm and 10cm in length, that are usually elongated to a distinctive tip, resembling the lip of jug. This is called a 'drip tip' and helps the plant shed excess water during the frequent heavy rain found in its natural habitat of the tropical rain forest. The variegated forms (there are several varieties) have degrees of variegation ranging from white and cream to almost lime green, and these make for extremely attractive indoor plants (but they do need a little more light than the all green varieties). When mature, Ficus benjamina can reach a height of over ten metres - and sometimes much more. However, younger plants can often be formed into a bushy habit and can make decorative houseplants. Older trees will produce distinctive aerial roots that hang down form its branches.

All our potted plants come in compostable coir pots - read more here.

Additional Information

Pets & Children

The sap can be irritating to the skin, and some people are sensitive to the dust that forms on the leaf surfaces (a combination of dust and sap from the leaves), so it is advisable to keep the foliage clean by regularly wiping with a damp cloth or paper towel

Height

60-70cm. Small bushy plants can be as small as 20cm in height, but larger houseplants are available up to 2m

foli8 Coir Pot Size - read here

17cm

Country of Origin

India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, parts of China, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, tropical Northern Australia, Solomon Islands

Habitat Conditions

Ficus benjamina is a native of the tropics of India, Southeast Asia and Australia, where it is warm, wet and frequently windy (hence the small leaves, in contrast with other Ficus species, such as F. Elastica or F. Lyrata, that have big leaves to capture as much light as possible nearer the forest floor). Young plants often develop from seeds lodged in the branches of other trees, soon producing aerial roots which reach down to the ground. Gradually they surround the host trunk and in time fuse together to strangle the tree that gave the seedling its head start in life. This means that even from an early stage in their life, they are found high up in the forest canopy where there is ample light.

Plant Care

Light

Needs good light and can tolerate direct sunlight. Variegated varieties need high light

Watering

Keep the soil moist, but not wet

Pruning

Smaller plants can be trimmed to keep them to their desired shape. Larger plants can be pruned to remove crossing branches or to maintain a pleasant form. The sap produced from cutting the plant can be irritating to the skin and will stain clothes and fabrics (it dries to a reddish brown colour)

Feeding

Add dilute fertilizer to the water every time you water the plant

Pest & Diseases

Mealybugs and scale insects can be troublesome and should be removed by cleaning as soon as they are seen. Large colonies often cluster around young buds and new foliage and it then it might be easier to trim off the end of the branch where they have settled. Scale insects are often very difficult to spot and often the first time you are aware of them is when you discover sticky honeydew on the leaves or surrounding surfaces. Other pests, such as thrips and two-spotted spider mite, are much less common.