I love it when you “discover” a new plant that’s been right in front of you the whole time. In my case, this happened when Costa Farms sent a Ficus alii tree to our house for a photo shoot.

Sure, I’d seen this plant many times before, but when it came to ficus trees, my wife Karen and I, usually chose the more commonly available Ficus benjamina, or weeping fig, to decorate our home. Weeping figs are truly gorgeous with their graceful boughs of bright green or variegated foliage. Problem is, weeping figs do have a tendency to shed leaves if you move them from room to room, so they can be a bit messy.

That’s why we were pleased to discover that Ficus alii rarely sheds and that its long, slender, dark green leaves make an outstanding addition to our living room. Plus, our new tree thrives with only an occasional watering (we try to water it whenever the soil feels dry to the touch, but I must admit, we don’t always remember). 

We also like the how Alii forms a large, tight canopy of leaves that gracefully hang from the branches like gorgeous green icicles.

Alii thrives in bright indirect light. We set our plant near a west-facing window during the winter and move it to our screened porch during the summer. To keep the tree in top form, we give it a little liquid houseplant fertilizer every few weeks during the spring and summer.

So, if you’re looking for a graceful, easy-care indoor tree, you really can’t go wrong with any member of the ficus family. But if you want something truly special that’s easy care, look for Ficus alii.

Written by Doug Jimerson