Indian Laurel
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called laurel fig.
Indian Laurel is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Can cause skin allergy. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Medium light 100 fcClemson Extension · read 13 September 2026Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Can cause skin allergy. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- While growing in spring and summer, give moderate water and a monthly high nitrogen fertiliser; give little water in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- In spring and summer, while growing, give moderate water and a monthly high-nitrogen feed; keep watering sparing in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Repotting
- Top dress every year; repot every 2-3 years.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- In spring or summer, root semi-ripe or leaf-bud cuttings using bottom heat.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning group 1; in winter, restrictive pruning may be needed for houseplants.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Indoors, scale insects, mealybugs, thrips and glasshouse red spider mite can occur. Diseases: usually none for houseplants grown in cold climates.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Ficus retusa is a species of evergreen woody plant in the fig genus. It is a tree native to Borneo, Java, and Peninsular Malaysia in the Malesian floristic region. The species name has been widely mis-applied to Ficus microcarpa.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- S. Borneo to JawaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- Spreading branched (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 2.5-4 metres; spread 1-1.5 metres after 10–20 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
Other Ficus
Chinese banyanFaded, yellow-white areas on the sunny side of the canopy
Common figA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Creeping figLeaf blade tips go crisp and brown
Fiddle-leaf figEdges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
Rubber plantCrisp margins that appear in winter
Ara BanyanSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
More of the Moraceae family
Banana leaf figSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Congo FigSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Delta FigSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetFicus binnendykiiSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Peepul TreeSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetWeeping figEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
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BananaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Clemson Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.