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Fiddle leaf fig plants are large trendy houseplants that have topped popular houseplant lists since the early 2010s. They are large, green, luscious and capable of bringing real impact to your home both inside and out, but their ability to turn your home from boring four walls into a tropical jungle isn’t their only benefit. In this guide, we’ll take a look at fiddlers’ symbolisms, myths, and feng shui aspects to discover the meaning behind your fiddle leaf fig plant.
Discover the Meaning Behind Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant
Fiddle leaf fig is a low-maintenance house plant.
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Let start with a fiddle leaf fig’s name.
Its scientific name is Ficus Lyrata. Ficus is the genus name for the fig family. Specifically, fiddlers sit in the ficus genus of the Moraceae family of mulberries and figs, which has over 850 species of fig trees, shrubs, and vines that often start life as epiphytes or semi-epiphytes.
An epiphyte is a plant that starts growing on another plant, absorbing moisture from the air and nutrients from accumulated debris. When they grow large enough, some figs dangle vines down to form roots in the soil, eventually overcoming their parent plant. These figs are called strangler figs, and fiddle leaf figs can grow that way in the wild, but in cultivation, they are grown as free-standing plants.
What’s a Fiddle Leaf Fig’s Scientific Name?
Ficus is Latin for fig, and lyrata is Latin for lyre-like. Lyres are ancient stringed musical instruments that emulate the shape of ficus lyrata’s large foliage.
How Did the Fiddle Leaf Fig Get Its Common Name?
The fiddle leaf fig belongs to the Moraceae family.
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Its common name, fiddle leaf fig, is derived from its foliage too. Its thick and leathery broad leaves measure up to 12 inches wide and 30 inches long and resemble a fiddle, also called a violin.
In some countries, fiddle leaf figs are called banjo plants for the same reason.
Fiddle leaf figs are usually grown for their handsome violin-shaped foliage rather than flowers or fruit. Its flowers are insignificant, and fruit rarely appears outside its native west African habitat because fiddlers need a specific pollinating wasp.
Discover Fiddle Leaf Fig Meaning in Feng Shui
Fiddle leaf figs are not native to China, but they are popular there. These bold statement houseplants are popular in feng shui, so let’s take a look at their meaning.
Symbols of Fertility
A sheltered outdoor position is essential for healthy-looking fiddle leaf figs.
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Fig trees have long been associated with fertility and covering up exposed areas in ancient art forms! A fiddle leaf fig won’t fruit in your home, but in feng shui, a fig represents fertility and fruitfulness. This makes them excellent wedding or new home gifts.
Good Energy and Positive Vibes
Large soft leaves with rounded edges represent positive energy and good vibes in feng shui.
Fiddle leaf figs’ large leaves cleanse the air of negative associations and, in turn, allow more positive energy to flow through your home. You’ll struggle to find a houseplant with larger leaves than a fiddler! If you want to bring lots of good energy into your personal space, fiddlers are an excellent choice.
Good Luck Meaning
In feng shui, sharp edges and murky corners accumulate negative energy. A rounded fiddle leaf fig banishes the negative aspects, which makes room for good energy. In turn, this brings the householder good luck.
Where To Put A Feng Shui Fiddle Leaf Fig
Fiddle leaf figs are a wood element, according to feng shui.
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According to the feng shui bagua map that divides areas into separate spaces, fiddle leaf figs are a wood element and are best used in the following positions.
Fiddlers in these spots may increase good fortune and riches
- Southeast for wealth
- North for career
In these spots, fiddle leaf figs may improve your love life and family relationships.
- East for family
- Southwest for love and marriage
Fiddle Leaf Figs Plants Improve Health
Fiddle-leaf figs are beautiful, but they can be a little tricky to care for.
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Fiddle leaf figs are large leafy houseplants, so they mean better air quality and generate healthy biophilia associations. To read more about humans’ inclination to be surrounded by nature, read this article from the International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health. It turns out we like greenery an awful lot, and it’s good for our mental health.
In terms of physical health, a fiddle leaf fig tree in your home means you breathe in fresh oxygen generated from a fiddler’s photosynthesis. Oxygen released from houseplants can help improve your health, sleep patterns, and ability to focus.
On the opposite end of the scale, fiddle leaf fig plants’ large flexible leaves were used in their native habitat to roll cigars. Not such a health benefit as their air purifying advantages!
Tips for a Healthy Fiddle Leaf Fig
We set out to discover the meaning behind your fiddle leaf fig plant and found out that it’s named after lyres and violins. It’s a popular good vibes plant in feng shui, but if your fiddler doesn’t like its feng shui position, it’s in trouble, meaning your fiddle leaf fig could shed its leaves, develop brown patches, and even die.
Here are a few tips to keep your fiddler happy and full of meaning.
Make it Light and Bright
Fiddlers need bright indirect light, at least 6-8 hours daily, to mimic their native west African sun. However, don’t place an indoor fiddler in direct sunlight. Windowpane glass magnifies the sun’s rays and which leads to scorch marks on its magnificent foliage. Place a fiddle leaf fig in bright light but not in direct sun.
Be sure to rotate a fiddle leaf fig one-quarter every week to ensure even growth and a straight trunk.
Touch and Test Watering
Fiddlers only need water when the topsoil is dry and drying out down to an inch. Press a finger into the soil. If it’s damp, hold off watering for a few days. If it’s dry, put your fiddler in a sink or bucket of water to suck up the water it needs. Let it drain afterward. Give large fiddlers a cup of water until water runs from the drainage holes, then let it dry again.
Misting
Misting is an excellent way to replicate lowland rainforest humidity. Mist its foliage once or twice a week.
Regular Fertilizer
Use a weak houseplant fertilizer every 2-3 weeks in the summer. Ensure you follow the instructions because too much fertilizer will kill a fiddle leaf fig, no matter how beneficial you feel it is.
