Fiddle Figs Vs. Bambino

Fiddle figs are pretty popular in the US due to their alluring aspects in the category of houseplants. Even though they can only grow outdoors in warmer areas of America, such as Florida or California, due to their nativity, which traces them to the west of Africa, they are still grown in artificial conditions in indoor gardens.

There are two common types of Fiddle figs, the same name calls one, and the other one is known as Bambino figs. This post will discuss the differences between these two and how to plant them and care for each type. Keep reading below to know exactly what to do in both cases.

What Are Fiddle figs?

The ficus lyrata, sometimes known as the fiddle figs, is a subtropical plant native to West Africa. They may also be known as Fiddle trees. On occasion, the word “ficus” is used to describe them.

Fiddle trees are called epiphytes or plants whose seeds grow from trees implanted at the top. They frequently kill the tree by strangling them in the process. However, you don’t need to worry as this is only possible in a wild environment. You won’t need to obliterate another plant for the fiddle figs you purchase to take root.

Additionally, if you see a fiddle tree in the wild, you will always see a fig on one. Although these figs resemble normal figs, they aren’t edible.

How To Take Care Of Fiddle figs?

If you take the right precautions, fiddle leaf plant growth is relatively simple. There are some things you can do to assist your plant in sprouting new shoots and maturing into a full-grown tree:

Abundant sunlight

Ensure your plant receives a minimum of 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. For it to generate energy and develop new shoots, it needs this light. Growth can also be impacted by temperature; the plant grows best in warm climates between 65 and 85 Fahrenheit (18 to 29 C).

Fertilizer

By providing nutrients, like compost or fertilizers, you can also improve the soil conditions so seeds can grow more readily. Slow-release fertilizer can be incorporated into the soil by sprinkling it twice a year.

This will promote robust development and aid in the growth of your plant’s new, healthy branches. You can also spray the leaves with a foliar solution for an additional dose of nourishment.

Watering

Don’t overwater; just enough water will do. Avoid overwatering when the soil is dry because Fiddle figs are tropical plants that prefer to be kept damp.

What Are Bambinos?

A small fiddle figs is the Ficus lyrata bambino, sometimes known as a Bambino. They are known as fiddle figs in some markets and dwarf fiddles in others. Why is differentiation crucial? Size is the reason.

In its natural setting, a typical fiddle plant can reach heights of 40 feet (12.19 meters). The ones used for dwellings will be at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall.

Nevertheless, if a plant is marked “Bambino,” you should anticipate it to reach a height of three to four feet (0.9-1.2 meters). Additionally, you will anticipate a problem if you buy a fiddle plant that remains stable at 3 feet (0.9 meters).

Dwarf cultivars of the Fiddle leaf plants, such as the Bambino figs, are small-sized varieties. The cultivars are the variation of a species that horticulturists clone to produce plants with specific desirable traits. The produced plants will also have traits not present in natural plants. Cultivars still are members of the same plant species.

In contrast, a mixed breed of plants is made by mating two distinct plant species. It is frequently accomplished when pollen from a plant travels to another of a distinct kind. Meyer lemon plants and sweet corn are both hybrid plants. However, the Bambino plant is just a scaled-down fiddle fig plant.

Fiddle Figs Vs. Bambinos: Appearance

Since they occasionally blend in with conventional fiddles and are not designated dwarf or Bambino, it is essential to know how to distinguish these plants from baby regular fiddle figs.

The leaves are the most straightforward method to distinguish a Bambino from a standard fiddle.

Huge, somewhat longer leaves that resemble fiddles can be found on regular fiddles. However, the leaves of bambinos are often rounder, fuller, and shorter. Additionally, Bambinos could appear slightly perkier when the leaves are straight up. Moreover, Bambinos are frequently very bushy, while traditional fiddles could be a little leaner.

Even with these clues, it can often be challenging to tell a bambino from just a standard fiddle plant, particularly if they aren’t marked as such. Sometimes finding a thriving plant and watching it develop is the best one could do!

Why Are Bambinos Becoming Popular As Houseplants?

In the debate of fiddle figs vs. Bambino, which plant to buy, the weight is shifting towards the Bambinos. Why is that? Fiddle figs seem to be stunning plants that bring drama to a room with their size.

However, not everybody has the spacious spaces frequently depicted in design magazines. Bambinos, or miniature fiddle figs, allow somebody with limited area to own a variety of these remarkable plants yet.

What Factors Effect The Growth of Bambinos?

For the sake of your plant’s continued health, keep these conditions in mind:

Light

Bambinos love filtered, bright lighting indoors. It’s more realistic to say that the plants need to adapt to direct sunshine, despite many sources claiming they shouldn’t be exposed to strong sunlight.

Watering

Maintain soil moisture without overwatering. Water requirements for your baby depend on several variables, with sunlight as the most important. The Bambino is eager for a drink if the topmost inch of soil seems dry to your fingertips.

Humidity

Being tropical plants, these do well in moist environments. The ideal humidity range for Bambinos or their bigger relatives is between forty and sixty percent. If your home is dry, you may need to invest in a humidifier to keep the humidity levels where they should be, around 30 and 50 percent. A permanent alternative to misting for your plant is a humidifier.

Temperature.

Except keeping your home under 50 F, the temperature isn’t a problem. Drafts may be a concern, mainly if they cause the air to become dry.

Movement.

Bambinos with fiddle leaves dislike being moved. They may start shedding their leaves when there are abrupt environmental changes.

How Do Bambinos Grow?

The growing process is quite different for Bambinos. Plant tissue cultures provide the basis for bambino plants. Explants, which are little bits of plant tissue, are used to start this process and are subsequently cultivated in a solution rich in nutrients.

Therefore, the resulting small, tiny plants are given to gardeners who will develop the tissue culture into figs that may be delivered to greenhouses, garden centers, nurseries, and home remodeling retailers.

The bambino infants are planted into the soil plug once they reach a nursery to establish roots. The tissue cultures must be inserted further into the soil at a particular depth without ever being harmed, making this a specialized task.

They spend the first two weeks and the following 4 to 5 weeks under tents in a greenhouse to keep warm.

They are then put into a growth pot at that moment. The 5-inch (12.7 centimeters) containers will serve as their habitat until they arrive at your house.

Its fronds will span the breadth of the pot after five weeks. They are then carefully dispersed so that every plant receives the same quantity of light. Babies won’t grow upright if this isn’t done. They are prepared when they have grown to thirteen to fifteen inches (33.02 to 38 centimeters).

Why Do Fiddle Figs Not Grow?

Probably nothing is amiss with your plant. Instead, when you bought it, it was misidentified or misplaced. That occurs occasionally. How can you tell one from the other?

You ought to examine the fronds. Bambino fronds lack their larger counterparts’ unique “fiddle” shape and are often smaller, stand higher, and rounder. A Bambino typically has tightly packed leaves, making it a tiny shrub.

Consider this instead of feeling let down: you succeeded in raising your picky baby. Choose a different location for the Bambino before purchasing a genuine Fiddle Fig plant.

Conclusion

Not a different species, a Bambino fig is a scaled-down form of the Fiddle figs. The smaller Bambinos or the Fiddle Figs are gorgeous plants, but their names are frequently incorrect. Do not be misled by phrases like “little” if you desire the shorter Bambino.

Massive home improvement retailers frequently fail to discern between a Bambino and a big Fiddle tree. It’s more probable that a respected, smaller nursery will sell you exactly what you want.

You may also like:

• How to Make Fiddle Leaf Fig Grow Taller
• Fiddle Leaf Fig vs. Ficus
• Fiddle Leaf Fig Yellow Leaves [Reasons & How to Fix It]