Ficus Audrey Plant (Ficus benghalensis 'Audrey') in a 6 inch Nursery Pot
Ficus benghalensis 'Audrey' · Ficus
- 30-day returnsNot happy with your plant? Bring it back within 30 days for an exchange or a refund.
- Pick up any time we're openOpen 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, at 3742 West 10th Avenue, Kitsilano. You can come in right after you order. Pickup is always free. For delivery, add it to your cart: $35 plus GST and PST, or free on orders of $98 or more.
Broad, deep green leaves with pale veins, on a young plant in a 6 in pot. Darrell finds the Audrey a lot tougher than a fiddle leaf fig or a weeping fig.
- Broad, oval leaves in a deep, slightly grey green with pale cream-green veins, on a young plant in a 6 in pot.
- In Darrell's experience, an Audrey that goes a bit too dry doesn't go into shock the way other figs do.
- One simple watering rule: let the top quarter of the soil dry, then water.
- Care notes below are written for Vancouver's dark, grey winters and dry heated rooms.
- Broad leaves, pale veins
- Young plant, 6 in pot
- Tougher than a fiddle leaf fig
- Bright, indirect light
Sending it as a gift?
- Add it to your cart and choose delivery at checkout: $35 plus GST and PST, or free when the order is $98 or more.
- Enter their address in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond or Burnaby as the delivery address. You can place the order from anywhere. We deliver only to these five cities.
- The receipt comes to your email only, and we email you when it has been delivered.
- After you pay, we email you, not them, to confirm the delivery day. Write your gift message, and whether it is a surprise, in the notes at checkout.
- Not sure which plant suits them? Send a gift card and let them choose at our Kitsilano shop.
- Not for a home with cats or dogs that chew plants. For a home with cats or dogs, see our Money Tree.
Our shop is at 3742 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano. Pick it up any time we're open, 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, even right after you order.
What you get
- One Ficus Audrey growing in a 6 in (15 cm) plastic nursery pot.
- No decorative pot is included.
Size and details
| Plant | Ficus Audrey, Ficus benghalensis 'Audrey' |
|---|---|
| Container | Plastic nursery pot (no decorative pot) |
| Pot size | 6 in (15 cm) across |
| Plant size | Young plant on a single stem |
| Light | Bright, indirect light |
| Water | When the top quarter of the soil is dry |
| Pick up | 3742 West 10th Avenue, Kitsilano. Any time we're open, even right after you order |
About this plant
This is a Ficus Audrey, sold as Ficus benghalensis 'Audrey'. It's a young plant with broad, oval leaves in a deep, slightly grey green, with pale cream-green veins running through each one. Turn a leaf over and, as Darrell points out, the underside is slightly velvety. It grows in a 6 in (15 cm) plastic nursery pot.
Figs have a reputation, and Darrell, who has more than 25 years of growing behind him, knows it well. When this batch came in, he said a fiddle leaf fig or a weeping fig “will shed their leaves even if you look at it in the wrong way.” Then he added: “But the Ficus Audreys tend to be a lot stronger.” In his experience, if an Audrey goes a bit too dry, it doesn't go into shock the way the other figs do.
So if a fig has dropped its leaves on you before, this is a good one to try. It still wants two things from you: bright light, and watering at the right time. Get those two right and it has its best chance of keeping its leaves through a Vancouver winter.
If you have a cat or a dog that chews plants, please read the pet note below.
Not sure which spot it should go in? Ask us at the counter.
Care in a Vancouver home
Light
Bright, indirect light is best. An east window works well, or a few feet back from a south or west one. A north window is usually too dim in a Vancouver winter. In a dim corner it grows slowly and leans toward the glass. In December Vancouver gets only about eight hours of daylight, and a lot of it is grey. So in winter, move it as close to your brightest window as you can, with the leaves off the cold glass. Give the pot a quarter turn every few weeks so it grows evenly.
Water
Darrell's rule for most indoor tropical plants, figs included: “So I find 90% of tropicals, they all want to be dry the top quarter of their pot size between their watering.” Push a finger into the soil. If the top quarter feels dry and it is still a little moist deeper down, water now. If it feels damp right from the top, wait. Water at the sink and let it drain. If it sits in a cover pot or a saucer, tip out any water left in the bottom. Talking about a fiddle leaf fig, he added the other half of the rule: “you don't want to keep it always wet but you don't want to be overly too dry either.” From November to February it will need water less often.
Leaves
Big leaves collect dust, and dust blocks light you can't spare in winter. Wipe them with a soft, damp cloth every few weeks, holding each leaf from underneath. As the plant grows, a lower leaf may yellow and drop now and then. That is normal. Many leaves dropping at once means something changed, so check the soil and think about whether it was moved, left to dry right out, or put somewhere colder.
Temperature
A normal warm room is fine. Keep it out of cold drafts, like a door that opens to the outside, and off cold window glass at night. Keep it away from heater vents too, which dry the soil and the leaves fast.
Dry air and pests
Normal home air is fine. In winter, heating makes the air dry, and that is when spider mites like to show up. Look for fine webbing and tiny pale specks on the leaves, and check the undersides when you wipe them. If you see anything, show us a photo at the counter.
Feeding
Spring and summer only. Weak houseplant food about once a month is plenty. Nothing from November to February.
Repotting
Not often, and not too big. Figs can react badly to a big jump in pot size. Darrell learned this with his own ficus, an Amstel: “I repotted into a bigger pot. I didn't even touch the root ball. I was gentle with everything. And then it shed its leaves for probably four months.” When he repots any plant now, he keeps to one size up: “Nothing too big right away. Just to get a good one size up.” Wait until roots come out the bottom, then go up one size and use a potting mix that drains well.
Trimming
You rarely need to. If you do cut a stem or a leaf, wear gloves and keep the sap off your skin. NC State Extension notes the sap of Ficus benghalensis can irritate skin.
Pets and kids
Please treat this plant as mildly toxic to cats and dogs, and keep it out of reach of pets that chew leaves. The ASPCA lists ficus species such as the weeping fig as toxic to cats and dogs. NC State Extension lists Ficus benghalensis as a low-severity problem for pets: chewing the leaves can cause drooling or vomiting, and the milky sap can irritate skin. Keep it on a high shelf in a room your pet doesn't go into, and pick up any fallen leaves. If you think your pet has eaten part of it, call your vet.
Sources: ASPCA, Weeping Fig · NC State Extension, Ficus benghalensis
Not sure it suits your spot?
Send a photo of the corner you have in mind. Darrell, who has grown plants for more than 25 years, will tell you honestly if this plant will be happy there.
Goes well with
Braided money treeTakes the same bright, indirect light and the same top-quarter watering, so the two can share a window.
Philodendron tortumLong, narrow, finger-like leaves next to the Audrey's broad ones. Same light, same watering.
Lemon Surprise dracaenaCurly lime-green leaves for the same bright room.
Questions people ask
How do I care for a Ficus Audrey?
Bright, indirect light, and water when the top quarter of the soil has dried. Water at the sink, let it drain, and don't leave it sitting in water. Keep it away from cold drafts and heater vents, and water less from November to February.
What are the light requirements for a Ficus Audrey?
Bright, indirect light, like an east window, or a few feet back from a south or west one. In a dim corner it grows slowly and leans toward the glass. In a Vancouver winter, move it as close to your brightest window as you can.
How often should I water a Ficus Audrey?
Go by the soil, not the calendar. Let the top quarter of the soil dry, then water at the sink and let it drain. Don't let it go bone dry, and don't keep it soggy. In a Vancouver winter that is less often than in summer, because the soil dries more slowly.
Is a Ficus Audrey easier than a fiddle leaf fig?
In Darrell's experience, yes. He says figs like the fiddle leaf and the weeping fig “will shed their leaves even if you look at it in the wrong way,” but “the Ficus Audreys tend to be a lot stronger.” An Audrey that goes a bit too dry doesn't go into shock the way they do. It still needs bright light and regular watering.
Why are my Ficus Audrey leaves curling or dropping?
Check the soil first. Leaves often curl or droop when the soil has gone too dry, or when the plant sits right above a heater vent. Many leaves dropping at once usually means something changed, like a move to a darker spot, a cold draft, or a pot that is much bigger. One lower leaf dropping now and then is normal.
Is this a Ficus Audrey tree or a bush?
This one is a young plant on a single stem, in a 6 in pot. It is not a trained tree. A Ficus Audrey sold as a tree or a standard has been grown with a bare trunk and a head of leaves on top.
Does it come in a decorative pot?
No, it comes in its 6 in plastic nursery pot. You can set it inside a cover pot as it is, or move it into a pot one size bigger when the roots come out the bottom.
Do you deliver this plant?
Yes, to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. Add it to your cart (shop.dhgardencentre.com/cart) and choose delivery at checkout: $35 plus GST and PST, or free when the order is $98 or more. Pickup at our Kitsilano store is always free. After you pay, we email you to confirm the delivery day.
What if my plant doesn't do well?
Bring it back within 30 days and we'll exchange it or give you a refund.
Where can I buy a Ficus Audrey in Vancouver?
At DH Garden Centre, 3742 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano. We're open 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, and you can pick this one up in store any time we're open, even right after you order online.
See it before you buy
Every plant on this page is in our shop right now. Come and pick the one you like best, or let us choose a healthy one for you.
DH Garden Centre
3742 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6R 2G4
Open 7 days, 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM