Ficus Audrey
$109.00 – $219.00
The Ficus benghalensis, better known to us as ‘Audrey’, and is racing to beat the Fiddle Leaf as the most popular fig. And there’s good reason plant lovers are adoring it – Audrey is much more forgiving with a better tolerance for soil moisture and even has a lower light requirement, although a good dose of filtered light is what’ll keep it growing. While we don’t really know where it got its name, it’s the same species of Ficus that form huge Banyan Tree canopies in its native India – yours can be pruned to fit right where you place it. Audrey Hepburn would be proud.
Plant Details
Size | 3-4', 5-6+' |
Difficulty | Easy Care Level |
Light | Bright Indirect Light |
Pet Friendly | This plant may be toxic to pets |
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Description
The Ficus Audrey is another great indoor performer from the Ficus family – Moraceae. And it’s less finicky than its Ficus cousins making it it a good choice for plant lovers with less than a green thumb. Here’s what you need to know about the Ficus benghalensis:
Watering
This plant is a bit more forgiving for over- and under-zealous plant parents and able to handle longer periods of moist or dry soil than its Ficus relatives. It’s considered a moderate drinker, and can go for 2+ weeks without watering with the proper sub-irrigation system, but we suggest you probe the soil weekly for the first month and during hot summer months. It will perform best if you’re able to thoroughly wet the soil and then let it dry (and we mean really dry) before watering it again. See our watering-for-success guide for more information.
Light
With a little more leeway on the watering, let’s get the light right. While it can be maintained beautifully indoors in artificial light, it’s best to have it close to a window for some filtered sunlight – east-, south-, and west-facing windows are best, so we’re classifying the Audrey as a “medium” light plant. And, if you get it situated near a window, give your Ficus a quarter turn (aka “twist”) once a week – this will help let light penetrate from different angles and minimize the inevitable leaf drop from inside the plant’s canopy.
Nutrition
The Ficus Audrey likely will not need to be fed during the first 6 months after it has shipped. During this time, it will use the residual nutrients from nursery production. After 12 months, it can be fed quarterly with a complete fertilizer formulated for interior plants – check out our nutrition products from Dyna-Gro. If your Ficus is positioned on a porch in the south, it may need supplemental nutrition sooner than 12 months. Keep an eye on the newer leaves – not the emerging ones; if the new leaves are yellow and the veins prevalent, it is possible it needs some nutrients. Please refer to our nutrient guide for details.
Cleaning
The Ficus Audrey leaf size is smaller than a Fiddle Leaf and bigger than an Alii and it usually has a more open canopy meaning you’ll have fewer leaves to clean than the ones on its cousins. It does, however, have an interesting leaf texture and vein pattern so you might need to be a little more gentle with its leaves but simply wiping the leaves with a wet cloth usually does the trick for removing dust. For spots where something else (besides dust) has landed on your plant, use a mild soapy solution to wet the cloth – then wipe, stroking the leaf away from the stem (and pulling on it lightly).
Pruning
The canopy of the Ficus Audrey is typically more open and we’ve witnessed its attempts to throw down some aerial roots and grow in some funky directions – we’re pretty sure that’s baked in to its DNA since it is, after all, a Banyan tree. Regardless, you can tame yours with some infrequent, light pruning or you can let it do its thing and go “jungle” on you. For the tame side, make pruning cuts to stems/branches that may be heading in the wrong direction and force new growth from the nodes. Although this demonstration is with an (old) Fiddle Leaf Fig, it does get to the point on how best to prune any of the Ficus species from PLANTZ – Ficus pruning.
Bugs
Nary a worry here – Audrey’s not a big target for pests. Scale, mealy bugs, and mites sometimes jump on, but they’re easily controlled by wiping the infested area with a soapy solution. It can take several intermittent cleanings to rid the plant of the pests. As always though, a regular cleaning/wiping regimen is best to keep any pests from taking up residence on your plant in the first place.
Trouble
Here are a few warning signs that your Ficus is getting ‘the funk’:
- Leaf drop – If the lower leaves start to droop and then drop, it’s either :
- not getting enough light
- it’s getting too much water or
- (you guessed it), it’s not getting enough water
Or…if you moved it from one light extreme to another, it could shed leaves. The most likely issues (#’s 1, 2, and 3) are easily correctable.
- Brown leaf margins – This is most likely from not enough light and under-watering.
- Brown spots and mushy leaf spots – This might be from too much water or exposure to cold temperatures.
The best part about any of the above is that they’re easily corrected. The key, however, is recognizing the signs early and making the adjustment before too much damage occurs.And…Don’t forget the weekly twist to keep your Ficus evenly bathed in sunlight.
Warning
It has been reported that the sap from a Ficus plant is poisonous to dogs, cats, and horses. So, if you have a dog, cat, or horse, don’t let them ingest the sap. It’s also been reported that the sap can cause allergic reactions for people too. If you get sap on your skin, wash it off and wipe the area with rubbing alcohol; if it gets in your eyes, flush your eyes with clean water for 15 minutes. If none of this helps, call a doctor.
Fun Fact
As mentioned, the Ficus Audrey can develop aerial roots. They can be tamed, but in its native habitat that’s how it forms ginormous canopies. It can start out as an epiphyte, germinating from seed on the bark or branch crotch of another tree. And that’s where it gets is most unusual name – the Strangler Fig. After germinating, its roots attach to the host and then it puts out aerial roots eventually reach soil below. Once it taps the soil, it can envelop and “strangle” the host plant out of existence using it for support while it develops even more roots. Sometimes we have to ship the Audrey with a stake for support artificially simulating a “host”.
A branch arrived damaged. Everything is great other than this. Thanks!
Could you please send us a photo of the damage?
Thank you – Sue
I love my new houseplant! Sue, was so great with answering my questions and quickly responding. I will definitely order again in the future! ☺️
Thank you! It looks beautiful and if you have questions or need some help, please just let us know!
Sue
Everyone was knowledgeable and kind
Thank you! Please keep us posted on progress and we’d love to see a new photo of how the space looks with your new greenery!
Sue
The plant came very well protected and other than a few leaves that fell off during shipping, the plant looked great. Audrey is still doing very good after a week and the baby growth coming in is healthy looking, no browning. Love the size that was just as advertised.
Thank you! Your new bamboo is on the way too and we cannot wait to see how it looks in your home.
Sue
Such a gorgeous plant and the best price comparing with the competitors. Excellent customer service and fast shipping. Very detailed as far as checking the outlook for my weather forecast before shipping, and they actually moved the shipping date up because of my inclement weather approaching. They offer many videos on how to receive the plant and caring instructions. I am very pleased with this purchase and definitely will want to get more in the future!
Thanks for the great feedback! We appreciate the beautiful photo too! Let me know if I can help going forward.
Thanks – Sue
Plant was bigger than I thought (almost 4 feet tall!) and in perfect condition. It fits the spot we picked out for it perfectly. Well packed and fast shipping. I’ll definitely buy more plants here!
Thanks for the great feedback! We’d be happy to help you select any new plants you need going forward and can help with any questions you have regarding your existing plants.
Thank you!
Sue
My plant arrived well-packaged & in good shape! Love it so far. Only concern is that a few of the leaves have tiny holes all over them. I looked on the website and it said this can happen if there are bugs on the leaves. I wiped down the affected leaves with a leaf cleaning solution. Otherwise it looks healthy & beautiful!
Hi, would you be able to send me a photo of this? It could be from the netting it is packed with and the plants are all treated before shipping them out so I’d like to take a look and see what is going on.
Thanks – Sue
Great customer service and very helpful. Love my plants.
Thank you so much! You have been such such a wonderful customer to work with!
Sue
I love it👍👍
Thanks for letting us know! If you have any questions, please reach out to us.
Sue
We had a great experience buying from Plantz. The ficus arrived in perfect condition and is beautiful. The folks at Plantz have been quick to respond to emails. Highly recommended!
Thanks so much! We are so glad you’re happy with it and we’re happy to help if you have any questions going forward!
Sue
I love it so much!
Thanks for letting us know! If you have any questions, please send us a note.
Thanks – Sue
I have been wanting an Audrey Ficus for quite some time but cannot find them in my area. This plant was beautiful – all the leaves are perfect, no brown spots and there is new growth. It was immaculately packaged. I could not be happier with this purchase!
Thank you for letting us know and we’re so glad to hear that you’re happy with it. They’ve become very popular!
Thanks,
Sue
Beautiful plant, packaging, and customer service! Friendly staff and very knowledgeable! This is the 3rd plant I’ve bought from Plantz….love all of them.
Thanks so much!
Sue
My Audrey ficus arrived beautiful. The plant is so healthy It had to travel from Florida to Arizona in the heat of summer and it arrived just perfect
Thank you!
Sue
Specialized packaging and transportation. The plants are beautiful, the service team is serious and responsible, and the emails sent me a lot of maintenance knowledge.
Thanks for letting us know. We are happy to help if you ever need us!
Sue
I haven’t got a proper planter for it yet but this beauty has already added a peaceful vibe to the whole living room. I know it’s not a pet-friendly one so I was watching my cat trying to get familiar to it to make sure they’re both safe. luckily the cat is not interested in tasting it but I still lock the audrey in a separate room. Why I have to bother myself? Because it’s incredible beauty. Sue is super nice and Steve’s videos are extremely helpful. Definitely come back for more plants – actually now I’m placing another order 🙂 If you’re a new plant parent don’t forget to get the plant assure kit – 10 bucks but solves problems.
Thanks so much for the nice comments! You can use the cleaning solution recipe on the plants and mist some on the soil too as this is usually a great pet deterrent. I wish everyone would watch those video’s and order the plantassure kit. I agree that it is very helpful to have!
Thanks – Sue
Absolutely love our ficus audrey tree. I’ve been obsessing over seeing these lush tall ficus Audrey’s In all the design pictures and was dying to find one. So glad I found Plantz! Arrived in super healthy and great condition. I was concerned we’d lose some leaves during the acclimation period but we didn’t! Sue was so helpful in quickly answering our questions about care. Will definitely purchase from here again when we buy our next plant. Such great value for $.
Thanks so much for the great comments. I absolutely loved the photo you sent us and it certainly looks very happy sitting in the window. If you need anything from us, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know.
Sue
Spectacular tree! Arrived lush and bursting with new growth, despite “regular” shipping. Also, Plantz offers outstanding communication/customer service—
They are so beautiful right now! So glad it made it there safely and that you’re happy with it!
Sue
I ordered the 14” pot Ficus Audrey and when it arrived I was very pleased! It is wonderful, very tall , full and appears healthy. It is still acclimating and has lost a few leaves but appears healthy so , no big deal. If you are looking for a Ficus Audrey , this is a good one !
Fantastic news. Glad you are happy with it!
Thanks – Sue
We love this tree. It was so healthy and lush when it arrived.
Thank you for letting us know!
Sue
I received the most beautiful healthy Ficus Audrey trees. Three of them. They are everything I hoped for and more. Plantz customer service is top notch and they truly have mastered the job of shipping large trees across the states. They arrived beautifully packaged with no damage. Don’t hesitate to purchase anything from Plantz. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you for letting us know! We’re happy to help going forward if you need us.
Sue
I was looking for this tree for a long time, as a gift for my sister. Was not able to find anything nearby, and the only tree available was on Plantz. After The purchase, I had few questions regarding the shipping, as the tree should have been shipped from Florida to Ohio in April, and it was still snowing up here. Sue, the customer service representative, was very professional and helpful. She was replying to my email within an hour. Tree was shipped via FedEx and we have received on day 3. The tree was packaged like if someone swaddle a newborn. It was in such a good shape,that no even a leaf was wrinkled or damaged. Tree height and look was almost identical I saw on site. It was approx 5ft tall and healthy. A day prior to the delivery, we have received a detailed instruction from Sue on how to unpackage and to take care of the tree. Very useful.
I am very happy with my purchase, had a great experience and for sure will order more plants in the future.
Strongly recommend!
Thanks Karen! We are happy to help if you have questions going forward!
Sue
She is SUCH A BEAUTY! they did amazing on carefully packaging her, not a single leaf lost. Thank you so much!
Thanks for letting us know!
Sue
Love my new beautiful Ficus audrey tree! I had actually ordered a 3′-4′ tree, but when I had unpacked it I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually much taller than me (somewhere between the 5′-6′ range)!! Some of the leaves have been falling off every now and then since arriving, but that’s pretty expected of a Ficus and it’s otherwise adjusting well. One of the sides is much more lush than the other, but I can hardly complain when the tree overall is just so beautiful!!!!
Thanks for letting us know! Once it is done shedding, you might be able to prune it a bit to give it some shape. Glad to hear that you are happy with it!
Sue
Good price, arrived quickly and in great shape!
Thanks for letting us know! Glad to hear that you are happy with it!
Sue
Such great customer experience! And amazing tree!
Thanks so much! So glad you’re happy with your new plant!
Sue