A rustling bundle of leaves or a bonsai variety with an elegant winding stem; large spoon-shaped leaves or long narrow ones… the Ficus has many guises. In fact, there are more than seven hundred different types, so you'll always be able to find the perfect one for you.

The Ficus is originally a jungle dweller so it likes it to be warm and a little humid. But it's also a tough plant that can put up with a slight bit of neglect, regardless of whatever guise you have at home. Just as long as you give it enough light and don't let it dry out, it will survive. If you really want to spoil your Ficus, though, give it a shower in a summer rainstorm. The rain will rinse its leaves clean so that your jungle dweller can breathe properly again and absorb light without having a layer of dust on it.

Soundproof leaves
The whirring of appliances, screaming children or buses zooming past, the Ficus helps keep things quiet. In fact, the Ficus benjamina (the variety with many small leaves) is particularly good at absorbing sound. Research has shown that plants can sometimes absorb up to 5 decibels of noise. Place a wild jungle dweller like this in a noisy corner and its leaves will gently cradle you into oblivion.

 

Spot: Full to half-full sun.
Water: Keep the earth moist.
Fertiliser: Every week in the summer.

A beautiful plant really grows on you!