Ficus Triangularis- Best Care Hacks

The name ‘Ficus Triangularis’ comes from the green, variegated triangular leaves, which are widely popular for decore purposes.

Here’s everything about how you can care for Ficus Triangularis.  

Ficus Triangularis: Plant Overview

Ficus Triangularis go by the name ‘Sweetheart tree,’ quite a scarce member of the ficus family and a close relative of the Council Tree and Ficus Tineke. 

Ficus Triangularis: Ultimate Care Guide

Ficus Triangularis are popular throughout the States for their unusual leaves and variegated color.

While its look can be deceiving for a high-maintenance plant, a little dose of care prolongs its vigor.

Let’s get a detailed insight into its care requirement.

1. Light and Temperature

Ficus Triangularis grows well in warm indirect, yet bright sunlight.

You might want to protect this plant from direct scorching sunlight as they cause the leaves to fade away.

Growing Ficus should not be a problem in zone 12 and 13. However, for other zones, bring the plants indoors during the winter months to protect them against winter anomalies.

Your plant may shortly survive the slight drop in temperature below 55°F, but gradually leaves fall, and growth is hampered. Moreover, Ficus cannot tolerate cold draughts from open windows and air conditioners.

Placing Ficus Triangularis near the south or east-facing window would be best for the plant to fulfill its light requirement, or grow light would do the job.

Use burlap to cover indoor and outdoor plants against cold injuries.

2. Watering and Humidity

You might want to give extra attention to Ficus Triangularis regarding watering and humidity.

Both overwatering and underwatering pose unwanted problems for your plants.

Further, your plant may not be able to attain sizeable growth when humidity declines and high humidity fosters pests like aphids, mites, southern blight, and many more. 

The normal room temperature is very close to what it demands, so adding a small humidifier should be good to maintain the balance indoors.

Meanwhile, yellow leaves curled and rapidly dropping may hint that the roots are overwatered. 

Make sure to have a proper watering regime, or use the good old finger test to feel the soil. If an inch of soil feels dry, bottom water them.

3. Soil & Fertilizer

Triangle tree does best in humus-rich soil with pH slightly towards the neutral level.

As a beginner, using an all-purpose potting mix helps with all the toil of curating the desired soil. 

But, if you wish to make your own soil, mix equal parts of peat moss, coarse sand, vermiculite, organic compost, and pine bark.

You must ensure the potting mix is fluffy enough for the roots to flourish.

Moreover, plants in compact soil cannot uptake the required nutrients, resulting in salt accumulation in the root zone. Discoloration, wilting, and immature leaves drop are its consequences.

A liquid fertilizer is the best for such cases. Feed them once every month as the new growth initiates, after which you can slow down during the winter.

But do not forget to dilute the fertilizer to 3/4th of its strength, as overfeeding leads to root burn. 

4. Potting & Repotting 

You can repot your plant once every 2-3 years during the early spring or summer in a pot a few inches larger. 

That said, the better way to consider repotting would be after observing its attributes. Immediately re-shelter the plant if signs of overwatering or underwatering don’t subside. 

In addition, roots peeking out of the drain holes indicate the requirement for more root-growing space.

It is not suggested to use the same old pot. Instead, get a bigger terracotta or ceramic pot with an adequate drain hole.

If the pot lacks drain holes, drilling a hole on your own should not be difficult.

But when you fail to get a new one, clean and sterilize the pot with some cleaning solutions before reusing it.

Fill the pot with a suitable potting mix and place them under dappled light.

5. Pruning Ficus Triangularis

Ficus trees shed 20% of their leaves during the season change, which saves you from regular pruning.

However, trim the Ficus plant for its bushier growth or desired shape. 

The branches can sometimes be stretched and lean, longing for light. Snipping them off while keeping the leaves node intact encourages new foliage.

But before you pinch the plant, put on your garden glove to protect yourself from the sap’s allergic reaction.

The other main reason to prune the plant would be to remove dead and damaged parts.

Diseases like powdery mildew produce a white mass under the leaves and around the stem. Aphids and other pests feed on the leaves, leaving behind brown patches which disgrace the plant’s aesthetics.

Pruning halts the spread of the same along with plant rejuvenation.

Ficus Triangularis: All About the Growth Rate

Ficus grows as a small tree with upright branches covered in mid-green-dark green glossy leaves.

Triangle tree grown outdoors attains more height compared to pot-grown ones. At most, this plant covers an area of the 26-foot square.

The variegated type has deep green foliage with lighter margins, creating a beautiful heart-shaped design in the middle of each leaf.

Ficus Triangularis is not your typical flowering plant. However, it may produce berry-like flowers in a controlled environment. 

These flowers develop into small, semi-round, pale to reddish fruits that can be used as bird feeders.

Even if it doesn’t, the plant’s beautiful foliage makes up for the loss of flowers, so you don’t need to worry about it.

Propagating Ficus Triangularis

Populating Ficus triangular would not give you a headache even if you have no prior experience.

Stem cutting is the most common and easiest method to propagate the plant. Also, you might have seen a lot of netizens trying to air-layer the Triangle plant, which checks their patience for months. 

A little experiment may keep you busy, but I recommend you opt for the easy way out, i.e., stem cutting.

The method is similar to how you propagate a Rubber Plant.

Steps for Propagating Ficus Triangularis via Cuttings

• Cut a healthy stem 3-5 inches below the first leaf from a mother plant.
• Use cinnamon as a disinfectant to heal the wounded part.
• Prepare a soil mix of sphagnum moss and perlite with a pH level of 6 to 6.5, and plant the cutting.
• Keep the moss moist by sealing it in a ziplock bag or putting it in a container with a lid.
• Place them under filtered light and a temperature of around 77°F.
• To increase humidity, remove the plastic bags.
• You can also use diluted fertilizer to help the growth of roots.

You’ll notice the development of roots around 5 to 7 weeks. After the roots appear viable, transplant them into the desired pot or directly into the ground.

Toxicity of Ficus Triangularis

This Sweetheart tree is not so sweet for your pets for its biological relation with the toxic Rubber Plant.

The milky white sap oozing out of the plant contains caoutchouc, which, when unvulcanized, has a toxic effect on pets and humans.

Dermal irritation is the main sign of toxicity in humans, along with the affected gastrointestinal activity.

It would be best to take immediate action by washing the sap off with cool water.

However, you can contact the following helpline numbers to report the emergency.

• Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA): (888) 426-4435 

Ficus Triangularis for Sale

After all the buzz about the variegated plant, you might want to buy them. Here are some online stores for you to check.