How To Care For A Ficus Benjamina

[ChameleonFan1989]

My local plant nursery has just starting suppling ficus benjamina trees. I only use fake and been interested in using one of these but I wanted to ask, what are these trees like for looking after? Do they need special lighting.

Information and care would be appreciated it, not very knowledgeable on plants

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

If you move them, even from just one room to another being super careful to move them very smoothly and carefully, they will drop nearly all of their leaves within a week or two. Fickle little plants and branches aren't very sturdy so they won't support the weight of bigger chams like adult panthers or veileds unless it's a really big ficus.

 

[ChameleonFan1989]

What's the best plant to hold the weight of a adult panther or veiled? I like fake but tired of them snapping easily and constantly replacing them.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

A schefflera is usually good and sturdy. I started with lots of real plants and they were such a hassle and all died so many times that now I have all fake. I apparently have a black thumb... You could invest in better fake plants and more bendy vines to support their weight better.

 

[brandon1]

What's the best plant to hold the weight of a adult panther or veiled? I like fake but tired of them snapping easily and constantly replacing them.

I too prefer Schefflera arboricola, but you could also check out normal Dracena (corn) plants. They are visually appealing and have sturdy trunks and large leaves that they can perch themselves on top of.

 

[ataraxia]

Awesome plant. i use a dual fixture on top. one being a 5.0 uvb and a 6800k plant light. I also use sand around the plant. Personally i have moved one of mine around more than any person should. I even moved one of them in the middle of winter. It road in the back of the truck all the way home and didnt faze it. i do have two of these and they are imo a very hardy plant. Hibiscus grows really easy also. Nice sturdy limbs. If you like flowers i get blooms all year round

They dont like heat as most indoor tropicals dont. Where your basking bulb sits make sure the leaves arent close to it.

ficus

hibiscus

 

[Chameleopatrick]

I still have my first ficus that I bought when I bought my first chameleon 20 years ago. The tree is 9' tall now and the chameleons still love it!

I'm a believer that REAL chameleons should have REAL plants with the exception of a quarantine or nursery enclosure. Keeping your plants healthy is just good husbandry and affirms ones ability to pay attention to the small details of daily transformations that take place in our micro habitats.

One thing to watch out for though when buying a ficus is plant scale. Scale will zap your ficus of good health and will spread to other plants so look under the leaves carefully and if you see any dry tan circles don't buy from that location unless you want to treat with a systemic pestacide which isn't good for chameleons.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

I have a 6-7 month old Veiled, Umbrella, and a Ficus tree. I had to re-pot both of them when it was pretty chilly out and bring them into the house for his cage. The Ficus showed no sign of stress. A couple of leaves fell, but I think its because I knocked them trying to get it situated. My Ficus is still on the small size for his age but is going well. It's towards the front so it doesn't get too much traffic from him. Also I have the heat lamp pointing towards the Umbrella instead of the Ficus. I've taken care of other peoples gardens before, but never owned my own plants/trees. I too wish someone could throw some tips out there so I can keep my plants thriving. So far I just water them every other day or longer. It just depends if the soil is dry. But now I'm a little worried to stick my finger in there because of Chameleon poop. Lol.

I would recommend both of these plants. If I was you, I would at least get one of them on the bigger side, if not both. Even though the Ficus is small, it still supports Bodhi's weight. In his old cage everything was fake. Now nothing is fake except the vines. It was an amazing decision. It helps keep humidity, gives him tons of climbing space, places to hide, and is all around good. I don't regret it for a minute.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Maybe I just got a defective ficus...I swear if you looked at it wrong it dropped all its leaves.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

Maybe I just got a defective ficus...I swear if you looked at it wrong it dropped all its leaves.

You may have. But I've heard that a lot about Ficus Tree's. They'll drop their leaves in a heartbeat. Very finicky. Luckily my dad has a friend that works in a nursery. It almost didn't even look like a Ficus when I got it! It is so much more beautiful than any Ficus I've ever seen. I was informed that its variegated. So gorgeous! It's nice and strong for it's size too. Maybe you should get connections. You're bound to know someone. Mine was ordered. Maybe you can go to a nursery, and have them order you a brand spankin' new Ficus. That way you know it's been really taken care of.

 

[ataraxia]

maybe i just got a defective ficus...i swear if you looked at it wrong it dropped all its leaves.

l o l ! :d