Ep. 133 - The Next Fiddle Leaf Fig?
Ficus Audrey & Ficus umbellata
We found articles calling Ficus Audrey and Ficus umbellata “the next Fiddle Leaf Figs.”
So we decided to put this bold claim to the test. Do they live up to the hype? How similar is their care to the FLF? And years later, how are Matthew’s "It Plants" doing? Stephen does a wellness check, and one of these shows promise!
Mentioned in this episode:
Ficus Audrey, a trade name for Ficus benghalensis, was predicted to become an It Plant in articles like these:
What’s the Next Status Plant (That Isn’t a Fiddle-leaf Fig)?
Ficus Audrey is 2020’s Answer to Our Fiddle-Leaf Fig Obsession, According to Plant Experts
Ficus umbellata was already popular in Japan when it caught Matthew’s eye on the TV show Terrace House, being used in interior spaces similarly to how Ficus lyrata was used in the US - earlier this year, it got its own promising press:
how hard it was it for Matthew to find these new “status plants,” and what were his initial experiences in growing them? What has he found to be the best approach to care?
how do Ficus Audrey and Ficus umbellata compare to the Fiddle Leaf Fig in Matthew’s growing experience (which is well-documented in out catalogue)?
do these Ficus have what it takes to become enduringly popular houseplants like the Fiddle Leaf Fig?
And lastly,
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The cover photo and first three of this gallery show “Audrey 2",” the second plant Matthew added to his collection in mid-2020, and the one that gets prime growing conditions under grow lights. The fourth photo is of “Audrey 3,” the one he bought in mid 2021 that lives in a West-facing window, while the sad naked stick is his original plant, purchased in fall of 2019. Even in similar conditions to Audrey 3, it has been a struggle, but he’s going to chop the top off to see if that encourages new foliage and branches.
And these are his much-sought Ficus umbellata plants. The three small ones were purchased in the Spring of 2021, and have lost all of their leaves several times each (whenever they went dry,) but always enthusiastically flush out new ones when Matthew keeps them evenly moist. They have been so resilient that he recently bought another, much larger specimen, now that they are showing up regularly at great prices in the local nurseries and plant shops he frequents.
Finally, Matthew had to share this photo of the panel from Terrace House, showing the gorgeous Ficus umbellata that inspired his extensive searching for this fig tree to grow himself. If you scroll through this article from Elle, you will also see a Ficus Audrey in the background of this set!