Fiddle Leaf Fig vs Ficus Audrey
Ficus Audrey is the easier fiddle leaf: velvety leaves, rated medium not hard, and much more tolerant of imperfect light and inconsistent watering.
Ficus Audrey is rated medium to care for, Fiddle Leaf Fig hard. If this is an early houseplant or the spot is hard to get right, start with the Ficus Audrey. Ficus Audrey needs bright indirect light (4/5) - beside a bright window, no midday sun on the leaves. Fiddle Leaf Fig wants very bright light (5/5), a south or west window with some direct sun.
What they share: both are toxic to cats and dogs, both take moderate watering and both stay large.
Choose
Fiddle Leaf Fig if…
- ✓you have a bright window to give it (very bright light)
- ✓it will live in a bathroom, kitchen or a humidified room
- ✓you are happy to fuss a little for the better-looking leaves
Choose
Ficus Audrey if…
- ✓your spot is the dimmer of the two - it manages on bright indirect light
- ✓your home runs dry in winter and you will not add a humidifier
- ✓you want the lower-risk plant of the two
- ✓air-purifying credentials are a tiebreaker for you
Fiddle Leaf Fig vs Ficus Audrey: side by side
| Attribute |
Fiddle Leaf Fig
|
Ficus Audrey
|
|---|---|---|
| Plant type | Foliage | Foliage |
| Difficulty | hard | medium |
| Light | ●●●●● 5/5 Very bright light |
●●●●○ 4/5 Bright indirect light |
| Water | ●●●○○ 3/5 Moderate |
●●●○○ 3/5 Moderate |
| Humidity | ●●●●○ 4/5 Above average |
●●●○○ 3/5 Average |
| Pet safe | Toxic to cats and dogs | Toxic to cats and dogs |
| Mature size | Large 90-180+ cm (3-6+ ft) |
Large 90-180+ cm (3-6+ ft) |
| Growth rate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Air purifying | No | Yes |
| Native to | West Africa | India |
Key differences between Fiddle Leaf Fig and Ficus Audrey
Ficus Audrey is the easier plant
Ficus Audrey is rated medium to care for, Fiddle Leaf Fig hard. If this is an early houseplant or the spot is hard to get right, start with the Ficus Audrey.
Ficus Audrey copes with less light
Ficus Audrey needs bright indirect light (4/5) - beside a bright window, no midday sun on the leaves. Fiddle Leaf Fig wants very bright light (5/5), a south or west window with some direct sun.
Fiddle Leaf Fig needs damper air
Fiddle Leaf Fig rates 4/5 for humidity - group plants or run a humidifier in winter. Ficus Audrey rates 3/5, so normal household humidity works.
Ficus Audrey is the air-purifying one
Ficus Audrey appears on the common indoor air-purifying lists; Fiddle Leaf Fig does not. In a normal room the effect of either is modest, so treat it as a tiebreaker rather than a reason to buy.
They come from different habitats
Fiddle Leaf Fig originates in West Africa; Ficus Audrey in India. Matching the original habitat is the quickest way to guess what each one wants indoors.
How to tell Fiddle Leaf Fig and Ficus Audrey apart
Ficus Audrey is the fiddle leaf fig's easygoing cousin: smaller, softer, velvety leaves with pale veins, and a much higher tolerance for imperfect light and inconsistent watering. It is the ficus to buy if the fiddle already beat you once.
Care at a glance
Fiddle Leaf Fig
Ficus Lyrata
The Instagram-famous plant with large violin-shaped leaves. Beautiful but demanding.
Care in one line: Bright indirect light, consistent watering, hates change.
Full Fiddle Leaf Fig care guide →
Ficus Audrey
Banyan Tree, Ficus Benghalensis
Easier alternative to Fiddle Leaf Fig with velvety leaves.
Care in one line: Bright indirect light, water when dry, more forgiving than FLF.
Full Ficus Audrey care guide →Fiddle Leaf Fig vs Ficus Audrey: common questions
What is the difference between Fiddle Leaf Fig and Ficus Audrey? +
Ficus Audrey is the fiddle leaf fig's easygoing cousin: smaller, softer, velvety leaves with pale veins, and a much higher tolerance for imperfect light and inconsistent watering. It is the ficus to buy if the fiddle already beat you once. On care, ficus Audrey is rated medium to care for, Fiddle Leaf Fig hard. If this is an early houseplant or the spot is hard to get right, start with the Ficus Audrey.
Which is easier to care for, Fiddle Leaf Fig or Ficus Audrey? +
Ficus Audrey. It is rated medium while Fiddle Leaf Fig is hard, and it is more forgiving about light and watering mistakes.
Is Fiddle Leaf Fig or Ficus Audrey safe for cats and dogs? +
Neither. Fiddle Leaf Fig is toxic to cats and dogs and Ficus Audrey is toxic to cats and dogs. Both need a spot pets cannot reach.
Which needs less light, Fiddle Leaf Fig or Ficus Audrey? +
Ficus Audrey. It scores 4/5 for light and beside a bright window, no midday sun on the leaves. Fiddle Leaf Fig scores 5/5 and a south or west window with some direct sun.
Which needs more water, Fiddle Leaf Fig or Ficus Audrey? +
Neither - both score 3/5. For each one, water when the top 2-3 cm is dry, roughly weekly.
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