Ficus benghalensis Audrey - Banyan

Ficus benghalensis 'Audrey' is an indoor banyan fig, a classic statement plant for the living room. It has dark green, thick, and satiny foliage, highlighted by lighter veins, on a very contemporary miniature tree silhouette. It integrates well into minimalist décors or an urban jungle vibe. This easy-to-care-for ficus forms a beautiful vertical specimen, perfect for marking an entrance or furnishing a corner of a room.

Ficus benghalensis belongs to the Moraceae family and epitomises the well-known banyan species, the national tree of India. It is also found in botanical literature under the synonyms Ficus indica or Ficus karet, now considered part of Ficus benghalensis. In the wild, this fig tree reaches 20 to 30 m in height and develops multiple trunks from aerial roots. It can be found in the warm plains from India to Sri Lanka, including Nepal. 
The ‘Audrey’ cultivar, selected for pot cultivation, has limited growth and an upright, well-branched shrubby habit. Indoors, it reaches 1.50 m to 3 m in height and 80 to 100 cm in width. Its ovate to obovate, 10 to 20 cm long by 6 to 12 cm wide leaves are thick, dark green, and slightly velvety to the touch, borne on a lighter petiole. The lighter veins are well-defined. The small flowers are in the form of small globular "figs", but these are rarely observed indoors. 
Like many ficus, it is toxic if ingested by pets and young children, its latex potentially causing irritation and digestive issues.

Indoors, Ficus 'Audrey' thrives in a bright room without direct sun, between 18 and 24 °C, with a humidity level of 40 to 60%. This plant is fairly easy to grow: it tolerates indoor life well but reacts to sudden temperature changes and overly dry air.

In the home, Ficus 'Audrey' can be used as a small living room tree placed near a sofa or in a reading nook, for example. It will also do well in a slightly heated conservatory in winter. You can place it in a large natural fibre or matte ceramic pot, then surround it with plants with more dissected foliage or a trailing habit. It pairs particularly well with a Ficus pumila ‘Bellus’ covering the base of the pot, a Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) trailing from a nearby shelf, or a Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron scandens) climbing a moss pole.