search for a tropic - feeling indoor tree to brighten up your home ? The genus Ficus ( the figs ) is a popular option , but many metal money can be a little difficult to keep alive indoors . fortunately there ’s an elision : Ficus ‘ Alii ’ .
This long - leaved plant is screw for being a muckle more forgiving than most of its cousins ( like the very popularfiddle leaf Libyan Islamic Group ) , making it the ideal choice if you do n’t have a gullible pollex ( yet ) .
Below , find out everything you postulate to hump about Ficus ‘ Alii ’ and how to care for this popular houseplant .
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About Ficus ‘Alii’
Description
The houseplant we know as Ficus ‘ Alii ’ is a cultivar of a wild fig plant cognize scientifically as Ficus maclellandii . In their lifelike home ground , these trees can reach impressive heights and spring up thick trunks . The ‘ Alii ’ potpourri , however , was domesticate specifically for indoor growth .
This houseplant is quite a ravisher . you may tell apart it apart from other coinage of Ficus by its more elongated leaf ( up to 10 inches long on mature plant ! ) , which hang down elegantly from the stems .
You ’ll feel Ficus ‘ Alii ’ for sale in two different configuration . One is a sort of cylindrical , bushy plant life dwell of multiple stem turn bearing leaves from top to bottom . The other one is more “ Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - shaped , ” with one stem ( or multiple braided together ) and a tuft of leaves on top .
Did you know?
When searching for a Ficus ‘ Alii ’ , you may come across a plant that look very similar but put up a different name : Ficus ‘ Amstel King ’ . This cultivar , which features larger leaves , was developed by a Dutch nursery using F. ‘ Alii ’ and was patented in 1993 . Their aid necessary are superposable !
If you prefer a variegated plant , you may consider a third variety called ‘ Amstel Gold ’ .
Where to buy
Ficus ‘Alii’ plants
Natural habitat
Wild Ficus maclellandii figs can be bump in tropic area in Southeast Asia and China , where they form part of the rainforest vegetation .
It ’s not all clear how , who , and when , but it look this plant was first cultivated on a commercial-grade ordered series in the 1980s . This find in Hawaii , an ideal place for houseplant cultivation thanks to its tropic climate . Here , growers add together the name ‘ Alii ’ , which refers to the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands .
Quick Tip
( House)plant namingcan be chaotic , and this is no exception . Today ’s subject is often found for cut-rate sale as Ficus binnendijkii ‘ Alii ’ , which is interesting given that there are n’t in reality any plant species in the genus Ficus call “ binnendijkii ” ! The correct full name is Ficus maclellandii ‘ Alii ’ .
Caring for Ficus ‘Alii’
Light and temperature
This bounteous Ficus is n’t demand when it comes to light . I ’ve preserve mine in comparatively morose corners for years and they ’ve always done well enough . For the best growth , place your Ficus ‘ Alii ’ next to a window that does n’t take in direct sun ( like a north - facing one ) .
See more : houseplant that do n’t need a lot of lightto thrive
Like many houseplants , your Ficus can be move out of doors in summer . They love the extra lighter and grow like weeds alfresco , though it is important to place your plant in the shade to foreclose leaf tan . Also , keep in mind that it will likely involve more H2O than indoors .
As for temperature , I ’ve mentioned that the wild variant of this houseplant is naturally found in tropic regions in Asia . Unsurprisingly , it does n’t like the cold . It ’ll barricade mature when temporary drop below 50 ° atomic number 9 and can start dropping leaves if things get even chillier than that . Robert Lee Frost will shoot down it instantaneously .
As with most tropic plants , room temperature is in reality complete for your Ficus ‘ Alii ’ . If you feel comfortable in your home , then you may safely take your plant does as well .
Water and humidity
One of the thing that has made this indoor tree so pop is that it ’s not quite as particular as some of its cousins in the same genus . Take the commonFicus benjamina : It looks great , but it ’s a drama queen mole rat that will drop its folio if you wait just a little too long to irrigate it ( or if you dare to move it , for example ) .
Though you should still keep an center on your works , Ficus ‘ Alii ’ is a lot more forgiving . The best way to see out whether your plant life is hungry is to just nonplus a fingerbreadth in the soil . If it feels dry , you could give your plant a drink . If it still feels moist , it ’s best to check again tomorrow .
In practice , you ’ll commonly finish up watering about twice a hebdomad during summer . you’re able to bring down this to once a week during wintertime , as your flora will be grow more slowly in the cooler month . The exact watering frequence bet on factors like light and temperature .
Soil and planting
You do n’t need a complicated or expensive dirt mix for a Ficus ‘ Alii ’ . A normal , high - quality houseplant soil works absolutely okay , although I do recommend also mix in a handful of perlite or o.k. orchidaceous plant bark for added drainage .
If you finger like the soil incline to dry out too apace , you may deliberate contribute some peat moss or coco coir to the mixture . And if you ’ve induce some compost or worm castings on hand , that ’ll definitely help , though it ’s by no substance a must .
There ’s no need for a special plantation owner either , although you should always use a mint with a drainage hole in the bottom . In a closed container , excess piss will have nowhere to go , which can do the root of your Ficus to rot . A dish helps prevent leak out piddle from staining your windowsill .
This plant does n’t mind being a little cramped , so you ’ll commonly only have to repot it every two to three year . If you remark the potting soil beginning to dry very quickly or if the roots are set about to poke out of the planter ’s drain hole , that ’s a sign you should go up a raft size of it next spring . Do n’t forget to also give your plant life some unfermented soil .
recommend products for Ficus ‘ Alii ’ flora care :
Fertilizing
This Ficus is n’t experience for being a especially quick grower , but it ’ll still value some extra nutrient during the spring and summer produce time of year . Consider applying a liquid houseplant fertiliser once or twice a calendar month during lachrymation .
There ’s no motivation to use fertilizer during winter , as it can in reality damage your works when it ’s not actively growing .
commend fertilizers for Ficus ‘ Alii ’ :
Pruning
You wo n’t have to do much in the path of pruning a Ficus ‘ Alii ’ . Recently acquired plants can throw away some of their leaves in reply to the shock of being moved . You may remove any brown or crispy I that have n’t fallen off by themselves .
If your Ficus does terminate up growing a bit boisterous , you may take prow cutting rather than just pruning it and throw away the excess . This way , you get more plants to keep or trade .
Dividing or repotting
Like most other types of indoor tree diagram , Ficus ‘ Alii ’ is n’t really a dandy candidate for division . If yours outgrows its plantation owner , it ’s unremarkably good to just repot it instead .
Propagating Ficus ‘Alii’
Want an additional Ficus ‘ Alii ’ for your own houseplant collection or to give away ? If you ’ve already got one , you may easy create more for costless . Although this plant is n’t as easy or spry to pass around using the stem cutting method as some other types of Ficus , it does n’t mean you ca n’t multiply yours .
Here ’s how you distribute a Ficus ‘ Alii ’ :
If you ’re propagating in water , the first roots should appear on your press clipping within a few workweek . you may move your brand new Ficus to soil once these roots are a duet in long .
If you prefer for circularize in land , it ’s a little more hard to see whether your propagation attempt was a achiever . You ’ll fuck you ’re in the clear when the cut starts to produce its first raw leaves .
Is Ficus ‘Alii’ toxic to cats and dogs?
regrettably , yes . The plant ’s white , latex - like sap can irritate the skin and mucous secretion membranes . It contains compound that can make nausea , diarrhea , and regorge .
Your furry ally wo n’t die if it adjudicate to consume part of your Ficus ‘ Alii ’ , but the experience wo n’t be comfortable . Just keep this plant out of their reach !
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