Hello! To help me thrive, please find me a spot with bright, indirect light. A few feet away from a south or east-facing window is perfect. My native home is beneath the forest canopy, so I am adapted to dappled sunlight. Direct, harsh afternoon sun can scorch my beautiful, glossy leaves, causing them to develop unsightly brown spots. While I am somewhat tolerant of lower light conditions, my growth will become leggy and sparse as I stretch towards the light source. A consistent light source is the first and most important gift you can give me.
My trunk is designed to store water, making me quite drought-tolerant. My biggest enemy is too much love in the form of overwatering. Please allow the top 2-3 inches of my soil to dry out completely before giving me a thorough drink. When you do water, ensure water flows freely from the drainage holes at the bottom of my pot, and always empty the saucer afterwards. I do not like wet feet! Sitting in waterlogged soil will cause my roots to rot, which is often fatal. In the winter, when my growth slows, I will need even less water.
I require a well-draining soil mix to be happy. A standard potting mix amended with perlite, orchid bark, or coarse sand is ideal. This creates an airy environment for my roots, preventing them from staying too wet. The pot you choose for me is equally important. It must have excellent drainage holes. As a young tree, I appreciate being slightly root-bound, so you only need to repot me every 2-3 years into a pot just one size larger. This process helps refresh my soil and gives my roots a little more room to explore.
I am a tropical plant at heart. I flourish in average household temperatures between 65°F and 75°F (18°C - 24°C). Please protect me from sudden drafts, whether cold from air conditioners and windows in winter or hot from heating vents. While I can adapt to average home humidity, I truly appreciate a boost in moisture. You can mist my leaves regularly, place a small humidifier nearby, or set my pot on a pebble tray filled with water (ensuring the pot is not sitting in the water) to create a more humid microclimate around me.
During my active growing season in the spring and summer, I welcome a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer. Please feed me once a month at half the recommended strength. This provides me with the essential nutrients I need to produce new, vibrant growth. There is no need to fertilize me in the fall and winter. During this time, I am resting, and the extra nutrients will simply sit in the soil and can potentially harm my root system. Less is more when it comes to my meals.
