Does a Ficus Tree Need Full Light?

Ideal Light Intensity

• Ficus plants will grow in direct sunshine but thrive in light shade. In plant nurseries, they thrive under shade netting that provides between 40 and 60 percent shade, according to the University of Florida's R.W. Henley, et al. Indoor ficus plants require a bright spot with indirect sunshine, such as a west-facing window. Gradually move them closer to the window during the winter to make up for falling light levels.

Excessive Light

• A ficus plant exposed to direct sunshine or very bright light develops leaves with upturned, wavy margins. When light intensities drop in winter or when the plant is moved, these leaves will not adapt and will drop off.

Low Light

• Ficus plants grown in low-light conditions tend to shed large numbers of leaves. The leaves turn yellow and drop off over a few days and can leave the plant almost completely bare. Provided your ficus is watered correctly and is kept in a bright location, it will produce a new set of leaves better adapted to low light. Ficus plants shed leaves naturally during the fall as natural light levels drop.

Acclimatizing Ficus

• Outdoor summer sunshine can be up to 10,000 foot candles in intensity while indoor light is closer to 1,000 foot candles, according to University of North Dakota horticulturalist Ron Smith. Ficus plants grown in outdoor light must be acclimatized to lower light levels slowly before being moved indoors. Move ficus plants gradually over several weeks, or place them in a new spot with similar light levels and temperature to their original home. This prevents large-scale leaf loss.