Confused Ficus Benjamina (Wintergreen) - Ask Extension
Hi! I got this large Ficus Benjamina home almost 1.5 months back. The first 2 weeks that it got home a lot of leaves turned yellow and fell off, whic...
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Confused Ficus Benjamina (Wintergreen) #712869
Asked August 13, 2020, 11:56 AM EDT
Hi!
I got this large Ficus Benjamina home almost 1.5 months back. The first 2 weeks that it got home a lot of leaves turned yellow and fell off, which is understandable given the stress of moving and adapting to a new place. The loss was so much that the lower branches became almost bare. I wasn't too worried though as by the end of the third week new leaves started budding at the top of the plant and the rate at which the leaves were yellowing also slowed down. Overall the plant seemed to be adapting well. My concern remained that no new leaves were growing back on the lower branches which remained bare. At the end of the fourth week I had to change the plant's location to a different window that gets the exact same amount of sunlight, the only difference being that this window is in my living room and the previous window was in my dining room. The plant still did well for the fifth week (slight leaf loss which I attributed to the change in location). But this is the sixth week now and suddenly the leaves have started yellowing and dropping off at a much faster rate from the the lower branches. So even more of my plant is getting bare (the leaves it lost the first time never grew back). What's confusing to me is that I still see new leaves budding on the upper branches and looking at them the plant still looks healthy. But I don't understand the sudden sharp increase of leaf loss in the lower branches. I only water it when the top layer of soil dries out and it's still in the planter's pot with draining hole and it doesn't sit in water so overwatering should not be the problem. I have also attached pictures of my plant. Please share your opinion/experience.
I got this large Ficus Benjamina home almost 1.5 months back. The first 2 weeks that it got home a lot of leaves turned yellow and fell off, which is understandable given the stress of moving and adapting to a new place. The loss was so much that the lower branches became almost bare. I wasn't too worried though as by the end of the third week new leaves started budding at the top of the plant and the rate at which the leaves were yellowing also slowed down. Overall the plant seemed to be adapting well. My concern remained that no new leaves were growing back on the lower branches which remained bare. At the end of the fourth week I had to change the plant's location to a different window that gets the exact same amount of sunlight, the only difference being that this window is in my living room and the previous window was in my dining room. The plant still did well for the fifth week (slight leaf loss which I attributed to the change in location). But this is the sixth week now and suddenly the leaves have started yellowing and dropping off at a much faster rate from the the lower branches. So even more of my plant is getting bare (the leaves it lost the first time never grew back). What's confusing to me is that I still see new leaves budding on the upper branches and looking at them the plant still looks healthy. But I don't understand the sudden sharp increase of leaf loss in the lower branches. I only water it when the top layer of soil dries out and it's still in the planter's pot with draining hole and it doesn't sit in water so overwatering should not be the problem. I have also attached pictures of my plant. Please share your opinion/experience.
Allegheny County Pennsylvania
Expert Response
Ficus Benjamin reacts to stress by dropping its leaves. One cause of stress is a change in environment but the plant will respond to the new environment if conditions are right. Lighting, temperature, and humidity are important factors in a Ficus’ health.
The Ficus requires gentle sunshine in the morning but must have shade during the midday sun. The temperature should be 60 degrees F at all times. The plant cannot be too dry or in drafty conditions. Drought makes the leaves drop. Humidity should be 50-70%. To increase humidity, place the plant on a saucer with pebbles in it and water the pebbles. Don’t have the pot sit in water. Another way to increase humidity is to spray the plant every few days.
The Ficus requires gentle sunshine in the morning but must have shade during the midday sun. The temperature should be 60 degrees F at all times. The plant cannot be too dry or in drafty conditions. Drought makes the leaves drop. Humidity should be 50-70%. To increase humidity, place the plant on a saucer with pebbles in it and water the pebbles. Don’t have the pot sit in water. Another way to increase humidity is to spray the plant every few days.
Once the conditions causing the leaf drop are addressed, prune the branches back from 1/4 to 1/3 of their length. Leave the leader, the single central growing tip of the plant alone. This renewal pruning should enable the leaves on the lower part of the branch to grow.
The following website will provide additional information:
extension.psu.edu/Ficus Diseases.
Thank you for contacting us and good luck with your plant.
The following website will provide additional information:
extension.psu.edu/Ficus Diseases.
Thank you for contacting us and good luck with your plant.
