Ficus Ginseng a bonsai that grows from its roots up
Clear, tested advice for keeping your ginseng ficus green and healthy indoors: light, watering, repotting, pruning and what to do when leaves turn yellow.
Care sheet
Everything a Ficus Ginseng needs, on one label. Each line links to the full guide.
Ficus microcarpa ‘Ginseng’
A small-leaved fig grafted onto a thick, sculpted root. Forgiving, slow to sulk and ideal as a first bonsai.
Family Moraceae (fig and mulberry)
Grown in China and Malaysia
Name “Ginseng” comes from the root’s shape
Difficulty Beginner
- Light Bright, indirect light. Direct sun burns the leaves. Light and placement
- Water Water when the top of the soil feels dry, then let it drain fully. Never leave it standing in water. Watering guide
- Warmth Likes warmth all year. It can spend the summer outdoors in light shade while nights stay above about 15 °C, then comes back inside. Summer outdoors
- Humidity Likes warm, humid air. Mist the leaves or stand a dish of water nearby. Humidity tips
- Feeding Organic or slow-release fertiliser at half strength during the growing season. Feeding basics
- Pot & soil Free-draining soil and a pot with a drainage hole. Repot when roots fill the pot. How to repot
- Location Pick a spot and keep it there. Moving it often makes it drop leaves. Why it drops leaves
- Pets The sap and leaves are toxic to cats and dogs. Keep it out of reach. Is it poisonous?
Just bought your first Ficus Ginseng?
Do these four things in the first week and your plant will settle in without dropping its leaves.
- Free the trunkShop plants often have pebbles glued around the base. Remove them so water can reach the soil.
- Check the potLook for a drainage hole and space for the roots. If it is packed with roots, plan a repot.
- Water properlySoak the soil, let the excess drain away, then wait until the top feels dry again.
- Choose its spotBright, indirect light, away from heaters and draughts. Then leave it there.
Something wrong with your plant?
Most problems come down to light, water or a recent move. Start with the question that matches what you see.
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Every root is different
No two ginseng ficus grow the same root. A few examples, from shop plants to decades-old bonsai.
Where the Ficus Ginseng comes from
Ficus is Latin for fig. This one is grown in China and Malaysia, where young plants spend years developing their swollen root before a small-leaved ficus is grafted on top. Patient pruning then gives it the shape of a miniature tree.
It belongs to the same family as the mulberry, the hop plant and the rubber plant, and it is one of the easiest bonsai to keep indoors.
