Field ManualAll plants

Weeping fig
Ficus benjamina
Pet & Human Safety
Hazard to people and pets
Tag-level evidence only; Treated as a warning, not a clearance.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonCare
- Hardiness zones
USDA zones 10a to 12b (NC State).
- Water needs
moderate
- Mature size
Outdoors 5 to 30 ft tall and 3 to 30 ft wide per its table; NC State text says up to 40 to 50 ft by 25 to 30 ft. Houseplant 2 to 10 ft (NC State).
- Family
Moraceae (NC State)
- Where it comes from
Tropical and subtropical Asia and northern Australia (NC State).
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
Get the app: coming soonAnatomy & Guilds
Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonField Doctor
Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonVintage Plates
Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonSources
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Ficus benjamina (Checked October 2026)
- Kew Plants of the World Online - Ficus benjamina L.
- ASPCA Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Fig (Checked October 2026)
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Ficus (GENUS page)
- UF/IFAS Extension, Ficus benjamina: Weeping Fig (ENH410/ST251)
- Brehler R, Abrams E, Sedlmayr S. Cross-reactivity between Ficus benjamina (weeping fig) and natural rubber latex. Allergy 1998;53(4):402-6