Plant Library
Types of Ficus: 9 Varieties Identified (Care Guide)
A buyer's guide to types of Ficus — fiddle-leaf, rubber plant, weeping fig, Audrey, ginseng bonsai, creeping fig, Alii. All are ASPCA-toxic to cats and dogs.
Types of Ficus: 9 Varieties Identified (Care Guide)
Ficus is one of the largest plant genera on Earth — over 800 species in the mulberry family (Moraceae) — but only a handful star as houseplants. The catch for shoppers is that the popular ones look nothing alike: a 6-foot fiddle-leaf fig with violin-shaped leaves, a glossy burgundy rubber plant, a wispy weeping fig, a knobbly-rooted ginseng bonsai and a trailing creeping fig are all the same genus. Knowing which Ficus you're buying tells you how much light it needs, how fussy it will be about being moved, and how big it will get.
This guide identifies the nine Ficus types you'll actually see for sale, with a visual ID cue and a light-plus-water signal for each. One rule applies to every single one: they are all toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA lists Ficus (Weeping Fig) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with the same toxic principles — ficin and psoralen in the milky latex sap — running through the genus. If you have pets that chew, see the toxicity section below before you buy.
Match a ficus to your space: Snap your room in Growli — we'll measure the light level and tell you which variety will thrive in your conditions.
Related: Fiddle-leaf fig care · rubber plant care · fiddle-leaf fig guide
The 10 most common types of ficus
1. Fiddle-leaf fig — Ficus lyrata
Large, leathery, violin- or fiddle-shaped leaves up to a foot long, with prominent pale veins and a puckered surface. Usually sold as an upright single-stem tree or bush; the dwarf cultivar 'Bambino' stays compact.
Care signal: Bright indirect light (the brightest spot you have); water when the top inch or two of soil dries. Hates being moved, drafts and overwatering — keep it in one stable spot.
2. Rubber plant (classic) — Ficus elastica 'Robusta'
Thick, glossy, oval dark-green leaves with a paler midrib; new growth unfurls from a pink-red sheath. This is the plain green plant usually just labelled 'Ficus elastica' or rubber tree at the garden centre.
Care signal: Tolerant of medium to bright indirect light; let the top 2-3 cm of soil dry between waterings. More forgiving than the fiddle-leaf and a good beginner Ficus.
3. Rubber plant 'Tineke' — Ficus elastica 'Tineke'
Variegated rubber plant: leaves marbled in green and creamy white, with new leaves emerging tinged pink before the pink fades to cream. The cream margins distinguish it from solid-green types.
Care signal: Needs bright indirect light to hold its variegation — too little light and the cream fades. Water when the top few centimetres dry; the white sections are more prone to scorch in harsh direct sun.
4. Rubber plant 'Ruby' — Ficus elastica 'Ruby'
Like 'Tineke' but with vivid reddish-pink tones that persist into maturity; leaves blend pink, cream and green. The key tell is that 'Ruby' keeps its pink even on older leaves, whereas 'Tineke' matures to green-and-cream.
Care signal: Wants the brightest indirect light of the rubber plants to keep its red-pink colour; water when the top 2-3 cm dries. Insufficient light turns it plain green.
5. Rubber plant 'Burgundy' — Ficus elastica 'Abidjan' / 'Burgundy'
Solid, near-black deep maroon leaves with a dark-red midrib and a red sheath on new growth. The darkest of the rubber plants — almost black indoors, with a wine-red flush in strong light.
Care signal: Tolerates lower light than the variegated types (it has no cream to lose), but richer colour develops in bright indirect light. Let the top few centimetres of soil dry between waterings.
6. Weeping fig — Ficus benjamina
A small indoor tree with slender, arching branches and many small, glossy, pointed oval leaves; often sold with a braided trunk. Variegated forms ('Starlight') have cream-edged leaves.
Care signal: Bright indirect light and even moisture; water when the surface starts to dry. Notoriously drops leaves after any change — a move, a draft, or a watering shift — but recovers once settled.
7. Ficus Audrey — Ficus benghalensis
Soft, oval to elliptical green leaves with a faintly velvety underside and pale lime-green veins, on light grey stems. Leaves are rounder and softer than the fiddle-leaf and not glossy. Also called the Bengal fig or banyan.
Care signal: Bright indirect light; water when the top inch or two dries. Generally more forgiving than the fiddle-leaf fig and less prone to dramatic leaf drop.
8. Ginseng / bonsai fig — Ficus microcarpa
Sold as a bonsai with a swollen, exposed pot-bellied root base (the 'ginseng' look) and a canopy of small glossy oval leaves; can grow aerial roots. Often confused with the related Ficus retusa in the bonsai trade.
Care signal: Bright indirect light; keep soil lightly moist but never waterlogged. Loves humidity, which encourages the aerial roots. A robust, beginner-friendly bonsai subject.
9. Creeping fig — Ficus pumila
A trailing or climbing vine with very small (around 2-3 cm) heart-shaped leaves on wiry stems; clings to walls and supports with aerial rootlets. 'Variegata' has cream-edged leaves; 'Minima' is even smaller. Holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Care signal: Bright indirect light or part shade; keep the soil consistently lightly moist — it dislikes drying out fully. Enjoys humidity and works in terrariums and hanging pots.
10. Alii (banana-leaf fig) — Ficus maclellandii
Long, narrow, willow- or banana-shaped leaves that droop gracefully — much slimmer than other Ficus leaves. Sold as an upright or braided tree. Known as Ficus binnendijkii in Europe; 'Alii' is the common cultivar.
Care signal: Bright indirect light; water when the top 2-3 cm of soil dries. More resistant to leaf drop than the weeping fig, making it an easier tree-form Ficus.
Are ficus toxic to cats and dogs?
Every true Ficus in this guide is toxic to cats and dogs — there is no pet-safe member. The ASPCA lists Weeping Fig (Ficus sp., family Moraceae) as toxic to dogs, toxic to cats and toxic to horses, and lists Indian Rubber Plant (Ficus benjamina) as toxic to dogs and cats. The toxic principles in both listings are a proteolytic enzyme (ficin) and psoralen (ficusin), found in the milky white latex sap that runs throughout the genus.
Per-plant breakdown (all toxic — this is a uniformly toxic group, not a mixed one):
- Fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) — toxic to cats and dogs (Ficus sap; ficin/psoralen).
- Rubber plant (Ficus elastica), incl. 'Tineke', 'Ruby', 'Robusta', 'Burgundy' — toxic to cats and dogs; ASPCA lists it under "Indian Rubber Plant."
- Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) — toxic to cats, dogs and horses (ASPCA "Weeping Fig").
- Ficus Audrey (Ficus benghalensis) — toxic; sap is a skin irritant (university Extension lists proteolytic enzyme + psoralen, low severity).
- Ginseng / bonsai fig (Ficus microcarpa) — toxic to cats and dogs; same genus sap, same ficin/psoralen risk as the weeping fig.
- Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) — toxic; the latex is a known skin and oral irritant.
- Alii (Ficus maclellandii) — toxic; same Ficus latex.
Severity is generally low to moderate — expect mouth and gastrointestinal irritation, drooling and sometimes vomiting if a pet chews leaves, plus possible skin irritation from the sap on contact rather than life-threatening poisoning. Even so, do not assert any Ficus is pet-safe. If your pet ingests one, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If you want a genuinely pet-friendly look-alike, choose a different genus entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ficus is the easiest for beginners?
The classic green rubber plant (Ficus elastica 'Robusta'), Ficus Audrey (Ficus benghalensis) and the Alii (Ficus maclellandii) are the most forgiving. They tolerate a wider range of light and are far less prone to the dramatic leaf drop that makes the weeping fig and fiddle-leaf fig frustrating. The ginseng/bonsai fig (Ficus microcarpa) is also robust if you keep its soil lightly moist.
What's the difference between Ficus Audrey and a fiddle-leaf fig?
Both are large-leaved tree Ficus, but Audrey (Ficus benghalensis) has softer, rounder, slightly velvety leaves with pale lime-green veins on light grey stems, while the fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) has larger, glossy, leathery, violin-shaped leaves with a puckered surface. Audrey is generally the more tolerant and less drama-prone of the two.
Are rubber plant 'Tineke' and 'Ruby' the same plant?
No. Both are variegated cultivars of Ficus elastica. 'Tineke' shows green-and-cream variegation, with new leaves briefly tinged pink before maturing to cream. 'Ruby' keeps vivid reddish-pink tones even on mature leaves. Both need bright indirect light to hold their colour; in low light they fade toward plain green.
Is a ginseng ficus a real Ficus or a different plant?
It's a real Ficus — almost always Ficus microcarpa, sometimes the closely related Ficus retusa. The bulbous 'ginseng' base is the swollen root system, often a smaller-leaved top grafted onto a fat-rooted stock. Because it's a true Ficus, it carries the same toxic sap as the rest of the genus.
Why does my weeping fig keep dropping leaves?
Ficus benjamina is famously sensitive to change. Moving it, drafts, sudden temperature swings, and shifts in watering or light all trigger leaf drop. The fix is stability: pick one bright, draft-free spot, water on a consistent schedule, and leave it alone. New leaves return once it acclimatises. The fiddle-leaf fig behaves the same way.
Is any Ficus safe for cats or dogs?
No true Ficus houseplant is pet-safe. The ASPCA lists Ficus (Weeping Fig) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and the Indian Rubber Plant (Ficus benjamina) as toxic to dogs and cats, both due to ficin and psoralen in the latex sap. The whole genus shares this sap. If you need a pet-safe option, choose a non-Ficus plant instead.
Can creeping fig (Ficus pumila) be grown indoors?
Yes. Ficus pumila is a small-leaved trailing and climbing vine that does well indoors in bright indirect light or part shade, in hanging pots or terrariums, as long as the soil stays consistently lightly moist. It dislikes drying out completely. Like the rest of the genus, its sap is an irritant, so keep it away from chewing pets.