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"Give your new ficus as much direct sunlight as possible. A south-facing window is best."
Not doubting Will at all - I do, however, sometimes doubt the tags that come with plants [nutz]

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Lynne, I second Will's advice about the ficus needing to receive as much direct sunlight as possible directly in front of a south-facing window. Both mine thrive in that location!

Go ahead and doubt the tags. Mostly they are generic information that is recycled from one species of plant to another without consideration of that's plant unique requirements. Most of the tags I see on local tropic plants don't even list the name of the plant, instead stating the plant is "tropical foliage", requiring average light, average watering, average soil. As if all tropical plants can be lumped together in a single category!

Here's my conspiracy theory for the day: The reason all the plants are generically tagged with the same "care" requirements is so that without proper care education the plants will die quickly, and the consumer will then purchase a new one, often blaming themselves for not looking after it well enough instead of the retailer who only seeks profit at your expense.

OK, Stepping off my soap box now.

Cricket