Ficus is a beautiful evergreen plant, in natural conditions often reaching the size of a tree. There are thousands of species of this decorative culture. However, far from all ficuses can be grown in an apartment. To date, only some varieties of this plant have been domesticated. Below we will consider the most popular forms and varieties of ficus (with photo).
In appearance, indoor plants of this species can vary significantly. Therefore, flower lovers to choose the most suitable option for such a decorative culture will not be difficult. In fact, many varieties of ficuses and their forms have been bred.
Main varieties
Since ficus is a houseplant very popular, breeders, of course, paid him a lot of attention. Most varieties of this plant have a spectacular, original and attractive appearance. Ficuses of variegate varieties, classic, with elongated leaves, etc. can be bred at room conditions.
The most popular varieties of this culture among lovers of indoor plants are:
Ficus Benjamin;
deltoid;
dwarf;
Microcarp;
rubbery;
Bengal;
religious.
Subject to proper care, tall, low, thick, variegated varieties of ficuses will simply look great in the interior. And all of them, of course, will become a real decoration of the apartment. Lovers of domestic plants choose specific varieties of ficus, depending on the degree of their whimsicality, size of the room, etc. In any case, for this culture, you will need to choose the right location in the room, and subsequently water it, fertilize and transplant it in time.
Ficus Benjamin: A General Description
It is this variety that is today the most popular. This ficus looks really impressive. In the wild, this plant can reach a height of 30 meters. Indoor varieties of ficus Benjamin are also quite spreading. Their leaves alone can grow up to 10 cm in length.
In height, Benjamin's ficus in indoor conditions often reaches 1.5 m. A feature of this plant, among other things, is that its leaves are slightly lowered down. Because of this, Benjamin's ficus is sometimes called the "weeping tree." The leaves of this plant are colored in different ways, depending on the variety. But practical, they always have a colorful color.
Main varieties
There are many varieties of this popular form of breeders. In most cases, lovers of indoor plants grow Benjamin ficus cultivars in their apartments:
Kurly.
Exotic.
Starlight.
Kinky.
Ficus Kurli is not a very tall plant with very light leaves. A feature of this variety, among other things, is that it grows rather slowly.
Ficus Exotica is popular among lovers of indoor flowers primarily due to its unpretentiousness. The leaves of this variety can reach a length of up to 6 cm. They have a pale green color.
The peculiarity of the Kinki ficus variety is primarily the spherical shape of its crown. As it develops, this plant turns into a small tree. The leaves of this variety are green with a beige border. They have a length of about 4 cm.
Varigate ficus Starlight is one of the slow-growing varieties. This form is considered very well suitable for cultivation, including in small areas. The leaves of this ficus combine two shades - dark and light green with blue. Thanks to this color of the crown, this variety looks very attractive in the interior.
Care Features
Photos of varieties of ficus Benjamin are presented on the page above. The very first photo is the Starlight variety. Such plants look, as you can see, actually spectacular. However, such ficuses will look beautiful, of course, only if they are properly taken care of.
One of the features of this form is a very well-developed root system. Accordingly, the pots for all such varieties must be selected sufficiently voluminous.
In the wild, the variegated ficus of the Benjamin variety grows in good light conditions. Therefore, placing this plant at home in the shade is highly discouraged. Without light, this ficus will lose weight its outer gloss, will slowly grow and become unattractive.
When choosing a location for such a plant, among other things, it should be borne in mind that direct sunlight should not fall on its leaves. Otherwise, the plant will get burns and begin to turn yellow.
Like many other species and varieties of ficus, this form is very fond of water. However, to arrange a swamp in a pot with Benjamin's ficus, of course, should not be. This crop is watered in the summer once every 4-5 days, in the winter - once every 10 days.
Ficus of this species is fertilized in spring with a monthly frequency, in the summer - once every 2 weeks. In this case, organics are usually used as top dressings.
Deltoid form
Description of varieties of ficus Benjamin and technology for caring for such plants were considered by us above. This form of plants is indeed the most popular among indoor crop lovers. But of course, other varieties of ficus are grown in apartments today.
For example, quite often deltoid plants of this group are used as decoration in the interiors of premises. This form was imported to Russia from Southeast Asia. The people because of the fruits of a characteristic species, this culture is also called "ficus-mistletoe." In the wild, this plant usually reaches about 7 meters in length.
The leaves of this ficus are similar in shape to the Greek letter "delta". Hence the official name of this variety. Under indoor conditions, the height of the deltoid ficus usually does not exceed 90 cm. A distinctive feature of this species is, among other things, a rough gray bark.
The leaves of this ficus are green on the outside and yellow on the bottom. In length, they can reach 8 cm. The peculiarities of the deltoid ficus include, among other things, its high growth rate. For a year, the stem length of this plant can increase to 25 cm.
Deltoid varieties
Ficuses of this variety are very popular among indoor plant lovers. And of course, this culture and breeders did not ignore. The most popular varieties of ficus deltoid are:
How to care
Like Benjamin's ficus, the deltoid prefers bright but diffused lighting. This plant is usually watered immediately after the topsoil has dried in the pot. Experienced lovers of indoor flowers are advised to wipe the leaves of the deltoid ficus from time to time with a damp cloth. The fact is that a large amount of dust usually settles on them. In the summer, ficus deltoid is useful even periodically to take a shower from a watering can.
This plant is fed alternately with organic and complex mineral fertilizers. The deltoid ficus is transplanted into larger tubs, usually once every two years.
Ficus dwarf
This variety, as can already be judged by its name, grows very low. Homeland dwarf ficus are China, Japan and Vietnam. In the wild, this crop can equally well grow on trees as well as on soil.
Despite the fact that this ficus does not grow high, its leaves usually have significant sizes. In adult plants, they can reach a length of 8 cm. In indoor conditions, the dwarf variety is usually grown as an ampel ornamental culture.
The leaves of this ficus are green. On the shoot, they are arranged in two rows and partially overlap each other. Therefore, this form looks very “fluffy”.
Description of varieties of ficus dwarf
The appearance of this decorative culture is thus very attractive. If desired, lovers of indoor flowers can choose, for example, dwarf ficus varieties:
Also, a rare variety of ficus dwarf Golden Heart is very popular among gardeners.
Ficus Sunny is distinguished primarily by the fact that its not too large leaves have a dark green color and at the same time have a light spectacular border. Variety Dort is also popular primarily for its beautiful appearance. The dark green leaves of this ficus are covered with golden blots.
The variety of ficus Golden Heart is completely different in a very unusual and original appearance. The leaves of this plant are yellow in color. Crohn's variety Golden Heart is very thick and it looks unusually spectacular.
How to grow
Unlike many of its counterparts, dwarf ficus belongs to the group of shade-tolerant plants. Many varieties of this culture can be grown, including in the back of the room. But still, if there is such an opportunity, it is better to place dwarf ficuses closer to the window.
A feature of this form, among other things, is its very rapid growth. Nutrients dwarf ficus requires a lot. However, too much fertilizer for this plant is still not recommended. Otherwise, ficus can discard leaves. Fertilize this variety usually only in the warm season, twice a month with liquid formulations.
Watering with dwarf ficus is recommended quite often. In any case, the soil under these plants in the pot should always remain moist. Such ficus is transplanted for the first time, usually at the age of 5 years. Further transshipment into larger pots is done as necessary.
Features of Ficus Microcarp
This beautiful variety has gained popularity among domestic lovers of indoor flowers relatively recently. The peculiarity of the ficus Microcarpus is a smooth trunk and a very magnificent crown. In nature, this variety can reach a height of up to 25 m. At home, the length of its trunk usually does not exceed 1.5 m.
The leaves of this ficus are dark green glossy. They have a slightly elongated oval shape and can reach a length of 10 cm. One of the features of this variety is the presence of a large number of aerial roots forming bizarre plexuses at the bottom of the trunk. Due to this, the ficus of Microcarp is considered a plant that is simply ideal for growing using bonsai technology.
Care technique
Install a tub with ficus Microcarpus usually near the east or west window. This variety does not like shadows. But at the same time, the sun's rays should not fall on its leaves.
In the summer, this variety is watered about 1 time every 3-4 days. In winter, the frequency of soil moisture in the pot is reduced to 1 time per week. To fertilize this plant, like any other ficus, begin in the spring. Nutrient formulations are added to the pot during the season once every two weeks. In this case, as a fertilizer, in most cases they are used organic in water or liquid mineral compounds.
Since this species grows quite high even in room conditions, it is supposed to transplant it annually. The size of the pot when performing this procedure is usually increased by 4-5 cm.
Rubber Ficus
This variety is noteworthy in that rubber can be made from its juice. Due to the high concentration of rubber in the tissues, this ficus got its name. In the wild, this species grows mainly only in India and Indonesia. At the same time, it can reach a height of up to 30 m in the forests of these countries.
In Russia, indoor rubbery ficus or, as it is also called elastica, has been grown since Soviet times. This variety has become almost a symbol of home comfort of those times. There was then a rubbery ficus in almost every home. After the appearance of new beautiful exotic plants in the country, the popularity of this decorative culture decreased slightly. However, the rubber-bearing ficus did not completely disappear from the apartments of lovers of indoor flowers, of course.
One of the distinguishing features of this variety is that even in a room it grows very large. Rubber-bearing ficuses in indoor conditions reach heights of up to 3 m. With proper care, the stem of such a plant can be extended annually by 40-50 cm.
The leaves of this ficus are very large, dark green. A lot of dust is collected on them. And therefore, the leaves of rubbery ficus should be wiped from time to time.
What varieties exist
Since rubbery ficus has been grown for a long time as a houseplant, many varieties have been bred. The most popular among lovers of decorative cultures are:
Belize
Melanie.
Mangrove.
Black Prince.
All these varieties of rubbery ficus look simply luxurious. A distinctive feature of ficus Belize is the presence of white-pink stains on the edges of green leaves. This species was bred in Holland.
Ficus elastic Melanie varieties are primarily compact. Too high this variety in indoor conditions does not grow. The leaves of this ficus are small in size. But Melanie’s crown itself is very thick and looks spectacular.
The Ficus variety Black Prince got its name because of the very dark color of the foliage. They, of this plant, like any other, of course, are green. But the color of the leaves of this variety are so saturated that they seem almost black.
Features for the care of rubbery varieties
Such ficuses are considered a very unpretentious plant. It is recommended to place a tub with a rubber-bearing form near the east window. If desired, this ficus can be put in partial shade. But in this case it will grow slower, and the lower part of its stem will be exposed.
Rubber varieties are usually watered three times a week. At the same time, water of room temperature exclusively used for one day is used to moisten the soil. Since this species is very fond of humid air, it, among other things, is supposed to be sprayed periodically.
Such ficuses are usually fed twice a month. At the same time, to improve the properties of the earth in pots, exclusively liquid products containing a large amount of nitrogen are used. The use of such compounds will guarantee an attractive appearance of the ficus crown.
In early spring, most rubber-bearing varieties are pruned. When performing this procedure, the crown size is usually simply reduced. The top of the plant is not cut.
Annual transplants are what many tall varieties are known to require. Very often this procedure, for example, lovers of indoor plants have to carry out with a monster, palm trees, mangroves (mangrove). Varieties of ficus elastic in this regard, of course, are no exception.
Bengal variety
This form of ficus belongs to the group of banyan ornamental crops. These plants, like the rubbery form, are very tall. In the wild, Bengal ficuses can reach a height of 40 m. In indoor conditions, such a plant can grow up to the ceiling in a few years.
The leaves of this ficus are dark green with light veins, very large. In length, they often reach 25 cm. In India, this plant is considered a symbol of eternity. In this country, they are decorated with various kinds of religious buildings. Powerful aerial roots form on the horizontal branches of this ficus.
Care
A tub with Bengal ficus is usually placed in the depths of a bright, spacious room. A feature of this variety, among other things, is that it is able to develop well even under artificial lighting. Near the window, such a plant is optional.
Another feature of Bengal ficus is that it does not have a rest period. That is, to water this plant and fertilize it both in winter and summer should be with the same frequency. The soil under Bengal ficus is usually moistened not too often. Such a plant is watered after the layer of earth in the pot under it dries by about 2 cm.
Fertilizers under the roots of Bengal ficus are applied at intervals of 2-4 weeks. Moreover, for feeding, granular formulations are most often used.
Bengal ficuses grow very quickly. Therefore, it is supposed to transplant them into large pots and tubs at least once a year. So that the ficus of this species does not stretch too quickly, not very large containers are most often selected for it. In addition, when transplanting such plants, roots are usually pruned a little.
Religious ficus
Lovers of indoor plants also call this form sacred. In nature, such ficuses grow in India, China, Sri Lanka. . . — 12 . 3 .
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Care Rules
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