The illustrated growing guide
Weeping Fig
Ficus benjamina
Family Moraceae
Est. zones 10-12
The classic ficus tree — elegant, but it drops a shower of leaves at the slightest change in light, water, or location, then regrows once it settles. Pick its spot and leave it there. Related to the fiddle-leaf fig and just as drama-prone about being moved.
Bright indirect — the brighter the better
Moderate water
Moderate growth
None winter chill
From the print shop
The closest print we make
We don’t print Ficus benjamina. The closest we have is Ficus lyrata (“Fiddle Leaf Fig”) in the Houseplants Vol. 1 collection — the same genus, Ficus, not the same species.
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
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Overview
Will weeping fig suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what weeping fig actually needs.
Hardy inZones 10-12Weeping Fig at a glance
Common weeping fig problems
- Scale
- Mealybugs
- Spider Mites
- Leaf drop from ANY change (light, water, drafts, moving)
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow weeping fig: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate weeping fig
When to spray weeping fig
Growing season. Wipe leaves; steady conditions prevent shedding.
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The year
What weeping fig asks for, month by month.
The weeping fig year, month by month
PruneWhat each band means
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
The weeping fig year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar pruning
- Apr pruning
- May pruning
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Weeping Fig in the garden system
What weeping fig is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesToxic to cats/dogs; latex sap irritates skin
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of weeping fig, ruled as a catalogue.
Best weeping fig varieties & cultivars
Standard green; 'Starlight' (variegated); braided-trunk forms
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to weeping figyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Questions
Weeping Fig questions, answered straight.
Is weeping fig safe for kids and pets?
With care. Toxic to cats/dogs; latex sap irritates skin Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate weeping fig?
Stem/leaf cuttings, division, or pups.
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Elsewhere
Where weeping fig sits in the library.
Monstera
Golden Pothos
Snake Plant
Heartleaf Philodendron