Djibo Zanzot · CC BY-SA 4.0
About
The fiddle-leaf fig, *Ficus lyrata*, is a highly popular and showy ornamental tree known for its distinctive, lyre-shaped leaves. It is widely cultivated globally, making it a favorite choice for both tropical gardens and indoor houseplants.
Field notes
Morphology
The leaves are variable but often resemble a lyre or fiddle, featuring a broad apex and narrow middle. They are leathery, have prominent veins, and a wavy margin, measuring up to 45 cm long and 30 cm broad. The fruit is a green fig with a diameter of 2.5–3 cm. Outdoors, the tree can grow 9–12 m tall.
Distribution & habitat
Native to moist lowland forests across western and central Africa, including Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo. It is also found as an introduced species in the Canary Islands, El Salvador, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Cultivation notes
It is widely grown outdoors in tropical regions and as a decorative species indoors in Europe and North America. It thrives in bright, indirect light and can tolerate some direct sunlight, and is hardy down to 10 °C (50 °F). Propagation is possible by division, stem cuttings, or air layering.
Habitat
- Altitude
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- Altitude Class
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Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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