Ficus Triangularis Plant Care

Choosing the Triangle Ficus is more than just its look standing in your living room. The houseplant is easy to care for as well.

The Ficus Triangularis is not your typical prima donna Ficus and is way different from the family’s cousins. While one species can give the whole group a bad name, this one is the least fussy grower. Learn more on how you can care for your Ficus Triangularis sweetheart right here. 

What is a Ficus Triangularis?

The Sweetheart tree is native to South Africa and Asia, with triangular-shaped leaves that are bright green. It can grow up to eight feet tall and four feet wide. In the nursery trade, you do not always find them available. But if you’re lucky to stumble upon one, add it to the houseplant collection you’ll not be disappointed.

This is a plant but avoids moving it about in the home as it does not enjoy being relocated often. An even rarer find is the Ficus Triangularis Variegata, a variegated version with green and cream triangular-shaped leaves. 

It has a stiff stem and only grows four feet tall and needs bright light to remain in its variegation, or the leaves go all green. The version is also known as the Variegated Dwarf Triangle Fig.

Another thing you will appreciate is the Ficus Triangularis benefits as it removes pollutants from the air in your home.

Ficus Triangularis Classification

Ficus Triangularis care card

Ficus Triangularis Care Basics

ficus triangularis

Compared to the other species in the Ficus collection, the Triangularis can be a bit fussy but more accessible to care for. It is an easy outdoor plant to grow when taken care of, but it needs regular pruning with nutrients. Here are some tips to help make your plant flourish at home.

Best Potting Mix

The Sweetheart plant loves fertile soil that is light, loose, and rich in minerals. Furthermore, it is permeable to oxygen for their roots. You can use sphagnum peat moss or even pine bark in the ground or purchase the ready-made earthen mixture at a garden center.

Alternatively, you can use some brick or sand chips to help improve the drainage.

On the other hand, you can prepare a soil mix yourself by using equal portions of charcoal, leaf, sod land, and sand. But there is another way as well by mixing sod land, sand, peat, and leaf. The important thing is that the ground acidity needs to be higher than 6.0 to 6.5 with enough drainage at the bottom.

Watering Needs

Watering your Ficus Triangularis depends on the season and temperature. The plant needs regular watering in summer or twice within seven to ten days. When scorching, you need to moisturize the soil as they love water.

However, only do this if the compost is completely dry between watering to prevent it from dying.

During autumn and winter, you can water your plant less than once every seven days. The crucial thing is that the water must not stagnate in the ground or pan as it leads to root rot. The best is to water your Sweetheart plan with distilled water at room temperature.

You can water it until you feel the top three inches look dry by sticking your finger in the soil. Alternatively, you can use a moisture meter as well. Also, check the water temperature during winter and summer as it can cause the plant’s temperature to drop.

Ficus Triangularis dropping leaves you might not be giving it enough water and needs well-drained holes to only keep the greenery moist.

Ideal Lighting

ficus lighting condition

The Ficus Triangularis green is a shade-tolerant plant you can grow on your windowsill facing north. It does not enjoy standing in direct sunlight, and best to move it during summer as it overheats and the leaves burn. For this reason, create a bright yet indirect light for them.

If you have the Ficus Triangularis Variegata, it still needs sunlight to help the leaves droop or lose their color but not too much.

Humidity and Temperature 

Your plant should be fine indoors during spring and summer with a temperature between 68° F -77° F. During winter; the temperature should not go below 60° F. The plant does not like drafts or any sudden change in the temperature.

You can expose your plant to warm air in winter outside if it is present.

temperature requirement

Furthermore, the Sweetheart plant prefers high humidity, and best to spray the leaves with water. You can do this often in summer or on freezing winter days. If you experience a lack of moisture, you can place a water container next to it or use wet clay in a pan.

Alternatively, you can invest in a humidifier that is beneficial for your health and the plant. Moreover, never place your plant near an AC or vent.

Fertilizing

While not a heavy feeder, it does need fertilization once a month using a balanced liquid fertilizer. Dilute it to half-strength during the Ficus Triangularis growing season in spring and summer. There is no need to fertilize the plant in winter, and you do not want to overfeed your plant.

Propagation

  • The Ficus Triangularis Sweetheart is not challenging when it comes to propagating it. You can use the cutting method to remove the correct cutting size and place it in a potting mix. The plant is slow-growing, and you can do it as follow:
  • Use sterilized pruning shears and remove at least 18 inches long of cutting with healthy leaves on it.
  • Place the cutting in a suitable potting mix made up of sand, perlite, and peat.
  • Place your cutting in a room with moderate temperatures using filtered light or cover it with polyethylene for improved humidity. You can remove it after two weeks when the plant roots.
  • After two weeks, you can move it to a bigger container to grow into a mature plant.

In the first two weeks, your cutting needs well-lit and warm, humid temperatures. During the third to fourth week, it starts to grow roots, and now is the time to remove the bag. From the fifth to seventh week, the roots have developed, making you shift your plant to another pot. 

ficus cuttings

It all takes patience to allow your Sweetheart plant to grow and remain consistent with your help for two to four months.

Growth Zone

If you live in zones 12 and 13, you can grow the Ficus Triangularis outside but remember it needs warm temperatures. So they prefer full sunlight to a partial shade environment for their leaves to grow. Moderate watering and pruning of dead stems and leaves are appreciated by Ficus Triangularis.

Potting and Repotting

The Ficus Triangularis only needs repotting when needed. As the indoor plant does not like to move often, you can transplant it when the roots grow out of the drainage holes. The best time to do this is in spring or early summer. As it is the growing season, it makes it less stressful for the plant.

You can buy a pot about two inches in diameter bigger, allowing enough space for it to grow. The important thing is to allow for drainage to remove excess moisture.

Ficus Triangularis Varieties and Similar Plant

When it comes to the Ficus Triangularis, you can find other varieties or similar plants such as the:

Ficus Triangularis Variegata

variegated ficus triangularis

Some people call it  Hearts in the Snow and is one of the eccentric plants you can have in your home. The plant is scarce and has green leaves with cream imperfections on them. The plant is tough and can handle abuse.

Council tree or the Ficus Altissima

Ficus altissima

Is a large plant with aerial roots with a crown that is more than 100 feet wide. It has elliptic ovate leaves and grows figs in a yellow color turning to red when ripe.

Benjamin Fig

ficus benjamina

This is more of a shrub when young and used as an ornamental or shade tree. The leaves feel leathery and grow weeping red fruits. The fascinating thing is that wasps use the inside of the fruit to mate and seal inside.

Willow-leafed Fig

willow leaf fig bonsai

This you find growing along kloofs and watercourses with rocky outcrops. It seldom rises above 30 feet in height. The figs turn red and are small and hairless with short stalks.

Ficus Triangularis Diseases & Pests

As with most houseplants, one needs to deal with pests and diseases, and the same applies to the Sweetheart plant. A nuisance that loves to suck out the juices of the Ficus Triangularis is the Mealybugs, thrips, aphids, scale, and spider mites. 

Mealybugs you can pluck them off using your hands or use mild pressured water to remove them. You can make a pesticide using two tablespoons of Neem oil with one tablespoon of mild dishwashing soap mixed with water to apply to the plant for the other pests.

For diseases, the biggest culprit is water and primarily overwatering. It can lead to root rot and happens out of sight underneath the soil. A sign of overwatering is when the leaves turn yellow or brown. If the leaves fall off, the ground lacks moisture. 

Another sign of leaf loss is a change in the environment when repotting, the soil mix, or standing in a different area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely!  In addition, it is an air-purifying plant that works well placed in your living space.  

Your plant can lose leaves for different reasons. It loses leaves as there is an environmental change. For example, incorrect soil mix, repotting, standing in another part of the home, or the lack of moisture.

You can do this by pruning your tree in spring to help it grow fuller.

Misting your Ficus triangularis is not necessary, as it prefers moderate to high humidity levels but can tolerate lower levels. Instead, focus on providing indirect light, regular watering when the top inch of soil is dry, and occasionally wiping the leaves to remove dust buildup.

Brown tips on a ficus plant can be caused by various factors, including underwatering, overwatering, dry air, excessive direct sunlight, or the presence of salts or chemicals in the water. Assess your care routine and adjust watering, lighting, and humidity accordingly.

Ficus triangularis is not known for its flowers. It is primarily appreciated for its unique variegated, triangular leaves and overall aesthetic appeal rather than its flowering capabilities. While uncommon, some individuals have reported instances of Ficus triangularis flowering during the spring and summer seasons.

Whether you want to buy, sell or simply reach out to other plant enthusiasts, Plantly is the right place to be!

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