Banyan fig vs Weeping fig

Ficus benghalensis · Ficus benjamina

Banyan fig and Weeping fig are close on every field we record, so choose on looks or price.

Why these two get mixed up

Both are Ficus, so they arrive on the same shelf under near-identical labels and are routinely swapped in the trade.

Banyan fig (Ficus benghalensis) — **Banyan fig** — Ficus benghalensis. Photograph by PJeganathan, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 4.0.

Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) — **Weeping fig** — Ficus benjamina. Photograph by KENPEI, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.

	Banyan fig	Weeping fig
Scientific name	Ficus benghalensis	Ficus benjamina
Family	Moraceae	Moraceae
Light floor	Medium	Medium
Water	7–14 days	7–12 days
Humidity floor	40%	40%
Mature height	36–120 in	36–120 in
Habit	upright	upright
Growth rate	moderate	moderate
Difficulty	Easy	Moderate
Toxic to pets	Yes	Yes
Typical price	$30–110	$25–90

Highlighted cells are where the two actually differ. Everything else they share.

The differences that matter

On every field we record these two are close. Choose on looks, price or whichever the shop has — the care will be much the same.

Which should you buy?

In a dim room, take either — both have a medium light floor.
If you forget to water, take Banyan fig, which goes 10 days between drinks.
If it is your first plant, take Banyan fig, at 2 of 5.
For a small shelf, take either.

Full entries

Banyan fig — care fields with sources, toxicity with every authority consulted, propagation and diagnosis. Weeping fig — the same.

Sources

This database's own care records for Ficus benghalensis and Ficus benjamina — every figure compared above.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — accepted names and families for Ficus benghalensis and Ficus benjamina
ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxicity classification for both, cited on each species entry
Photographs: Wikimedia Commons, individually credited and licensed above

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-12
Every comparison above is drawn from a recorded field. Where the honest distinguisher is visual we show both photographs rather than describing a leaf we have no field for. How this is sourced.