Banyan fig vs Blue star fern

Ficus benghalensis · Phlebodium aureum

Pet safety: Blue star fern is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs; Banyan fig is toxic (proteolytic enzyme, psoralen). If the two are sold under the same name, a mislabelled plant is a genuine risk in a house with animals.

Why these two get mixed up

Blue star fern is recorded here as a pet-safe alternative to Banyan fig, so the question is usually whether the swap is actually a fair one.

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

Blue star fern (Phlebodium aureum) — **Blue star fern** — Phlebodium aureum. Photograph by Anatoly Mikhaltsov, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY 4.0.

	Banyan fig	Blue star fern
Scientific name	Ficus benghalensis	Phlebodium aureum
Family	Moraceae	Polypodiaceae
Light floor	Medium	Low
Water	7–14 days	5–10 days
Humidity floor	40%	45%
Mature height	36–120 in	12–30 in
Habit	upright	spreading
Growth rate	moderate	moderate
Difficulty	Easy	Easy
Toxic to pets	Yes	No
Typical price	$30–110	$18–50

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

The differences that matter

Pet safety

This is the difference that matters most. Blue star fern is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs; Banyan fig is toxic (proteolytic enzyme, psoralen). If the two are sold under the same name, a mislabelled plant is a genuine risk in a house with animals.

Mature size

Banyan fig reaches about 120 inches; Blue star fern tops out near 30. Buying the wrong one for a shelf means rehoming it in a year.

Light

Blue star fern tolerates low light; Banyan fig needs medium as a floor. Put the second in the first's spot and it stretches and declines.

Habit

Banyan fig grows upright; Blue star fern grows spreading. That decides where each one physically works.

Not even related

Banyan fig is Moraceae, Blue star fern is Polypodiaceae. They share a shop label and nothing else — different families, different continents, different care.

Which should you buy?

With a cat or dog in the house, take Blue star fern. The other is toxic, and if the shop label is wrong you will not know which you have brought home.
In a dim room, take Blue star fern.
If you forget to water, take Banyan fig, which goes 10 days between drinks.
If it is your first plant, take either — both score 2 of 5.
For a small shelf, take Blue star fern, which stops around 30 inches.

Full entries

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

Sources

This database's own care records for Ficus benghalensis and Phlebodium aureum — every figure compared above.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — accepted names and families for Ficus benghalensis and Phlebodium aureum
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.