How to prune a fiddle-leaf fig

Choose the over-tall leader or leggy side branch, then cut just above a node to invite a new branch. Do not start by cutting healthy leaves.

Plant coveredFicus lyrataFiddle-leaf fig · indoor container

Identify the plant part and the reason for removing it

Choose what to remove

For an indoor fiddle-leaf fig, the practical target is an over-tall leader or leggy side branch. Make the decision on the stem and its node, not by randomly cutting individual large leaves.

Pruning can reduce indoor height, shorten drooping or overlong branches, and change a single-stem tree into a lower-branching shrub-like form. Corrective pruning also has a structural role in a young landscape tree.

Decide whether to prune now or wait

Prune at the right time

Spring is the more responsive time for an indoor size cut because houseplants produce less new growth in autumn and winter. A hazardous or space-blocking branch may require a different decision.

Cut only the selected part

Make one clean cut

Use a clean cut just above a node on the selected stem so the node can be the site of a new branch. Shorten only the branch needed for the intended height or balance instead of applying a blanket percentage.

Stop when the pruning goal is met

When pruning will not help

Watch the cut and new growth before pruning again

Care for the plant after pruning

Sources