There are a lot of popular plants with a reputation for being finicky or hard to care for. However, this belief is almost always based upon a failure of proper plant care. Once you have the basics, such as water, light, and temperature needs, even the prissiest plants can be relatively easy to care for.
A prime example is the fiddle leaf fig temperature requirements. The Ficus lyrata plant is as notorious for being a spoiled princess as it is for its (usually) fiddle-shaped leaves. Even seemingly minor changes in its environment can result in a rather dramatic change in the foliage’s health.
Temperature tends to be a major sticking point with fiddle leaf owners, so let’s look at the proper temperature range and how to maintain it.
What Is The Best Temperature For Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees?
65° to 75° degrees Fahrenheit tends to be best for this plant, with nighttime temperatures down to 60° degrees Fahrenheit.
However, fiddle leaf figs react more strongly to temperature fluctuation than many plants, and sudden or drastic shifts can lead to a lot of unnecessary stress for you and your plant.
The Importance Of Controlled Temperatures
These plants come from western Africa, growing in thick forests that shield them from many environmental fluctuations.
For example, a breeze is far less likely to impact this fig in its natural environment because other trees block or slow the airflow. If you place the fig too close to a vent, air conditioner, door, or window that’s frequently used, the Sudan breeze can shock your plant.
In reality, a mature fiddle leaf fig can survive a temperature range of 55° to 100° degrees Fahrenheit before it suffers any serious risk. But these changes must be gradual for the Ficus to adapt to them.
For example, if your plant is near a sunny window, the sunlight will slowly warm up the window pane throughout the day. The pane will slowly dissipate after the sun goes down, resulting in a very slow, steady rise and fall throughout the day.
This change, almost imperceivable unless you’re checking a thermometer, is slow enough that the Ficus isn’t affected at all. In fact, sudden fluctuations can be the single biggest reason a fiddle leaf fig reacts badly to the temperature.
For the best results, the room you have your plant in should change no more than 5° degrees Fahrenheit in a day, and you should bring outdoor plants inside if temperatures go below 60° degrees Fahrenheit.
Signs Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Is Too Hot
Fiddle leaf figs are notorious for dropping leaves instead of hints, so you will have to rely on a few other signs to be sure the cause of leaf drop is excessive heat.
Dry, crunchy leaves are one of the more notable signs.
When the dry patches form at the margins and begin working their way inward, leaving the affected portions brown and crispy, this is usually a sign of dehydration.
High temperatures can rob a plant of humidity or cause the soil to dry out faster, so if you’re seeing this, it might be a good idea to look at whether there are temperature changes.
In many cases, these temperature changes are apparent because you haven’t changed the watering routine or other plants in the room suffer symptoms.
Sunburn has similar symptoms. Only the dry patches start on the interior of the leaf surface and work their way outwards, generally appearing as light brown dotting that expands into patches.
Sunburn is most commonly a result of keeping the fig too close to an exposed, south-facing window.
You can try using sheer curtains or slowly moving the plant to one side of the window.
Just be careful not to move the plant too far in one go, as this can shock the plant due to multiple environmental factors changing and will result in further leaf drop.
This brings us to the third sign of too much heat – dark brown to black areas on some leaves.
At first, you might think this is the same as the symptoms of sunburn, but the patches are much darker and don’t begin as small speckles.
Being too close to a window where the sun’s rays are magnified directly onto the plant can cause this symptom.
Another common cause is if your Ficus was too close to an air conditioner or other source of cool air or drafts and is moved away, resulting in shock.
The good news is that (as unsightly as the damaged leaves are) these leaves are generally still able to photosynthesize and can be left on the plant.
Signs Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Is Too Cold
It’s okay if nighttime temperatures fall to 60° degrees Fahrenheit, but you will see slowed growth if this temperature is maintained.
Once the temperature hits 55° degrees Fahrenheit, your Ficus will go dormant and exhibit some stress signs.
Anything below that could cause serious or even permanent damage.
Just like when overheated, your fiddle leaf can drop leaves when it feels too cold.
This is because it’s preparing to go into hibernation, and the leaves will generally regrow once the plant spends some time in warmer temperatures again.
However, if it gets too cold, the plant can suffer from frostbite, which won’t heal, and any affected portions of the plant will have to be removed.