The Hottest House Plant? Say Hello to the Fiddle Leaf Fig

Did you ever think there could be a trend in house plants? To be honest, I’m not a plant person, so I’ve never given it much thought. As a designer, I choose a plant that looks great and will get the right amount of sunlight for the room I’m working with. And I make sure my clients are prepped for its care and feeding. I haven’t ever fallen in love with a ficus tree. But things have changed.

I’m working with a client who loves plants. She runs a business creating floral arrangements for events. So I had worked closely with her to make sure her plants would be perfect. After all, I’m all about creating spaces so you’ll love where you live. That’s when I discovered the Fiddle Leaf Fig.

Once I saw them and fell in love I started seeing them everywhere. Isn’t it funny how that sort of thing happens? This plant has surely transcended the tried and true Ficus tree.

The Fiddle Leaf Fig is actually a bush, but it can be trimmed into a tree and shaped in all kinds of ways. Here are some design ideas to check out using the latest thing in house plants. Hey, you don’t want to be left behind!

The Fiddle Leaf Fig has made its way onto the covers of several shelter magazines like Elle Decor (above).

See how it can be shaped? I love those huge leaves.

Cute! And very simple. It makes a clean interior design statement.

Hmm… not my favorite. This looks a little scraggly. But you can see how well it can be formed to fit into any room.

Here’s the Fiddle Leaf combined with some hippy-dippy action.

If you’re considering incorporating a Fiddle Leaf Fig into your interior design scheme, here are some care and feeing tips from Planterra, our local expert plant shop here in Detroit.

LIGHT: The plant needs indirect, but abundant light. Like all plants, it will tilt towards the light source, so you have to rotate it every few months.

WATERING: Don’t over water. They like dry spells.

PRUNING: The Fiddle Leaf is a bush. But you can buy it in tree form. If you buy a bush, prune it early before it starts to spread out.

CLEANING: Did you know you have to dust your trees? It’s a bit of a chore, but the leaves need to be clean to shine and grow. Use a damp cloth. That works best.

ROOT CONTROL: Every couple of years you’ll need to trim back the roots, or buy a larger pot. These plants have large roots that want to spread out. To keep them under control. To learn how to do this (it’s really not that hard, but it’s messy) follow this link.