A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Ficus/Fig? ID and Help needed please

Hello All,

I am new here... well, I should say I've been registered for a while but never really post.

I have a plant that I believe is some variety of Fig. It is healthy, I guess, but I doesn't seem to grow at all. I've had it for a year. In the fall last year it grew two 10" shoots from the very TOP of the tree. They grew up and leafed out in about 2 weeks' time. Besides that, it doesn't grow new leaves or do much of ANYTHING.

Here's a link to the photos, since I couldn't get the pic to show up IN my post (sorry): Mystery Plant

Can anyone offer a positive ID and/or advice on caring for this plant? In all honesty, I don't even know what sort of light it requires.

Any help you can offer would be appreciated. Thank you :)

Pam

Welcome, Silver. Try looking up ficus elastica. It does look healthy.

Tina,

Thanks for the FAST response. I looked up the Ficus Elastica. Do these usually have thick, glossy leaves? Mine are just regular, thin leaves, non-glossy, so I was having trouble identifying it as such.

Yes he does look healthy, but he just doesn't grow at all. And I forgot to mention that the very tips of the branches (in between a pair of leaves, for example) dry up, as if they'd been clipped off.

Perhaps there is no reason for concern??? Is this usually a "slow grower"?

Thanks again,

Pam

if they are in lower than full light, they grow slower and the leaves are thinner than if they are in full sun.

Thanks Jiffymouse! I guess since he's happy where he is, I will just let him be. :)

looks like a philodendron

Nope, I definitely does NOT smell like cinnamon. Hmmm... now I am confused as to what kind of plant this is. Any other suggestions??

There are 800 types of ficus. Some with thick leaves, some thinner. Some glossy, Some dull. I still think you have a ficus of some sort. And it is reasonably healthy.
I'm not sure what might cause the growing tip s to 'burn' as you describe. I do wish I could help. You could try changing the light conditions. Maybe put it out in a shady location for the summer and watch it closely for pests and wind/sunburn. Repotting in a slightly larger pot might jump start new growth.

I didn't know there were THAT many varieties of ficus. I looked up a few this morning, and some had slow-growth as a common trait. Perhaps that is the case with mine... who knows.

As far as the pot, he is already in quite a large pot which I'm sure he's not outgrown since I put him in it last year. Perhaps it is too large...?

Anyway, thanks for the info. I think I will keep looking at different ficus varieties to see if I can find it, but I'm satisfied with just calling it a ficus. :)

i'm with tina. i'm pretty positive it is a variety of ficus. probably a specialized cultivar of ficus elastica. i've seen one very similar before. my ficus elastica has leaves growing in that pattern, and the tips of the leaves have a red point to them. but the veining is different.

when i bought it, it looked like any other ficus elastica, but because of it's current growing conditions, it is almost exactly like that one with the way the leaves are so close together right at the top.

Thank you all for your help. It's amazing what little details can make a difference in IDing the plant. Jiffymouse, your last post points to VERY specific traits.

My deck might be the perfect place for this guy. Once it warms up a bit more, I might move him outside to see if he does any better.

Thanks again :)

Pam