Variegated Ficus Triangularis Care Guide

Family: Moraceae

Genus: Ficus

Botanical Name: Ficus Triangularis

Common Name: Sweetheart Plant

Difficulty: Not for the temperamental plant parent

If you’re familiar with the fickle Fiddle Leaf Fig, and they don’t send you running for the hills, you’ll love the Ficus Triangularis!

Light

Ficus Triangularis love a nice, bright room. If you have a variegated variety, they will need plenty of indirect light to maintain those pretty white edges. Make sure they aren’t directly in those harsh rays because you’ll notice very quickly that they don’t like that.

Water

Like with every other houseplant, you should always check the soil before watering your Ficus Triangularis. They don’t like to sit in wet or super dry soil. Always check the topsoil by poking your finger 2” into the soil to avoid watering your plant when it doesn’t need it.

Climate

One thing that you’ll learn very quickly is that Ficus Triangularis does not tolerate environmental changes. They love average household humidity levels and warm temperatures (60-75°F). You should place them somewhere the conditions will stay consistent!

Soil

Soil choice is very important with plants like the Ficus Triangularis because they love consistently damp soil. They love an all-purpose potting soil that will help with drainage! If you’re a nervous plant parent, add a little bit of perlite or vermiculite to the soil to really help with drainage.

Pests & Diseases

As with all houseplants, you can expect to deal with pests at some point. You should beware of thrips, spider mites, and mealybugs. Stay ahead of these pests by checking the undersides of your leaves and watering your plant properly.

Tips

• A good way to make sure your plant is getting enough light is to see if they cast a shadow!

• Keep the soil slightly damp at all times! You never want it to be soaking wet.

• Keep a thermometer in your plant’s immediate area to keep an accurate read on their surrounding conditions!

Signs your plant isn’t happy

• Leaf drop: environmental changes (drafty areas, temperature change, humidity change, lack of humidity)

• Yellow leaves: under watered

• Leaves start turning green, dropping, and growing back black: too much water

Propagation

If you catch yourself trimming your Ficus Triangularis, don’t toss those cuttings, and save them for propagation! All you need is a clean pair of scissors, a healthy mother plant, potting mix, a nice pot with a drainage hole, and patience. Be choosy with your cuttings because you want your new plant to be healthy! Take 3-4 cuttings that are a few inches long, and poke the ends down into your pot prepared with potting soil. Place them in an area that gets a lot of bright light, is very warm, and has higher humidity levels. Now you wait for it to show new growth before slowly introducing it to another area of your house (Only if you have to move it!).

Fun Facts

• Ficus Triangularis are indoor trees that don’t require natural sunlight. They will do just fine under a grow light!

• According to NASA’s clean air study, Ficus are an air-purifying plant!

• They are native to Malaysia!

Hardiness Zones

With a plant like the Ficus Triangularis, it is always important to check out your area’s hardiness zones before moving them outside. One wrong move could and you could doom your plant to a very short life, and you don’t want that!

The USDA Hardiness Zones for Ficus Triangularis are 12-13. However, your Ficus Triangularis cannot handle the cold temperatures, so be prepared to bring them inside for the winter!