Temperature
60–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Creeping fig
Ficus pumila
Creeping fig wants bright indirect light and water every 4 to 9 days, once the surface is just dry to the touch. Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans. It climbs: without support its leaves stay small.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or three feet back from a south one. It clings to whatever it touches with adhesive rootlets.
Water
Every 4–9 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the surface is just dry to the touch, not on a schedule.
Humidity
50% and up
Wants 65%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Moderate
Scores 3 of 5: Scores 3 of 5: fast and easy in a terrarium, difficult on an open shelf, because it browns within days of drying out and does not recover the affected leaves.
Habit
Climbing
Needs a moss pole or board. Not decorative — leaves will not mature without one.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans
Contains proteolytic enzyme, psoralen. Reported signs include oral irritation, salivation, vomiting.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA — entry for a different species in this genus: Ficus benjamina
- Toxic to cats and dogs · proteolytic enzyme, psoralen
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or three feet back from a south one. It clings to whatever it touches with adhesive rootlets.
Water
Every 4 to 9 days in a 6-inch pot, when the surface is just dry to the touch.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | keep evenly moist |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the surface is just dry to the touch |
Soil and potting
Two parts potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 1.5 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Brown crispy edges monitor
- Leaf drop this week
- Drooping act today
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-12.
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Spider mites act today
- Scale insects this week
- Mealybugs this week
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 14 to 28 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 14–28 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Ficus benjamina Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Ficus pumila (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q2360517 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Ficus pumila Accepted name; family Moraceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Ficus pumila Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Ixitixel, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02