A very exotic plant – Ficus Auriculata – came to us from the distant tropical forests of India and South-East Asia. It owes its name to the large size of leaves, which are a little like elephant ears – this is another name of this plant. A fantastic, fast-growing, small tree or shrub up to 8 m tall with huge, round leaves that can reach 40 cm in diameter and are a wonderful copper color when budding.
The Ficus Auriculata itself is an eternally green tree or medium size bush (sometimes half-leafed representatives) with low-down branches. In the natural environment, the plant abundantly berries syconias, similar to large figs. When fertilized by a tiny wasp that lives in symbiosis with the plant, the large fruits appear on the trunk and main branches; they are edible and sweet.
In the photo you can take a closer look at this extraordinary plant:
Taking care of Ficus Auriculata at home
Of course, for objective reasons, such a large-size ficus is difficult to grow at home. Often, it is suitable for landscaping large office space or halls. And yet virtuoso florists were able to grow from Ficus Auriculata bansai, which can easily fit into a small living room, as well as give some tips on how to ensure the plant proper care.
- Lighting: it is recommended to organize bright light for ficus, even with a small amount of direct sunlight, for example, in the morning or evening.
- Watering: it is necessary to keep the earth in a moderately humid state at all times, but do not flood the ficus.
- Temperature: the optimal temperature frame for Ficus Auriculata will be from +64.4°F to +78.8°F in summer and +59°F to +68°F in winter.
- Feeding: it is recommended to feed the plant with organic or mineral fertilizers every two weeks from late winter to early autumn. In winter, you can feed it once a month.
- Reproduction: may be propagated with top cuttings or seeds in early spring.
- Soil: A mixture of peat, leafy soil and sand is best for planting the ficus. The mixture should be lush and light to allow enough air to pass to the roots.
So, with this set of simple rules, you can try to grow Ficus Auriculata yourself.
As for the difficulties in care, here on the arena come the common mistakes of the owners of ficuses. For example, among them are overwetting of the soil, which can lead to roots rot, or lack of moisture will be accompanied by falling leaves. Also adversely affect the plant and dry warm air during the heating season, which sometimes contributes to the appearance of pests.
If you follow these recommendations and try to avoid misses in care, the auricular ficus will grow strong and healthy.
