Do Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees Smell?
Before you purchase a plant for your home, you may want know if it is going to have a certain smell. Maybe you are allergic, or sensitive to smells. Or you just do not want to have an odor in your house from a plant.
It’s important to know if fiddle leaf fig plants smell and what causes them to emit an odor.
First, discover plants and flowers that smell really nice and are pleasant to bring into your home.
Which Household Plants Smell Nice?
Plants and flowers can help your home smell nice and pleasant. Consider the following plants and flowers that smell great:
- Cut Roses
- Gardenias and Gardenia Vines
- Honeysuckle
- Jasmine
- Orchids
- Lavender
- Mint
- Basil
Incorporating any of these plants and flowers inside or in floral arrangements will release pleasant scents in your home.
Which Household Plants Smell Bad?
There are definitely some plants and flowers you do not want to bring into your home. Their scents are not pleasant at all.
- Sea Holly smells like feces. Their pollinators are flies so they are attracted to this flower.
- Butterfly Flower has an offensive smell.
- Marigolds repel insects and critters by smelling bad.
- Lantana smells like gasoline or fermentation.
- Crown Imperial smells like a skunk.
- Daisys: Some say they smell pleasant but some think it smells like cat urine.
The reason plants and flowers smell is to attract pollinators.
Some scents are noticeable and some are not. Bees, hummingbirds, wasps are all pollinators. The plant or flower is emitting a scent to attract a particular insect or bird to aid in pollination.
Do Fiddle Leaf Figs Smell?
The answer is a resounding:
NO
Fiddle leaf figs actually do the opposite. They help to absorb negative scents and smells in your home. They take in these offensive scents and release pure oxygen.
If you have a smell coming from your fiddle leaf fig, you will need to investigate the problem that is causing the odor.
Why Does My Fiddle Leaf Fig Smell?
Root Rot
Root rot is caused by fungus or bacteria in your roots or soil. It occurs because the soil is not draining well and the plant is overwatered. This causes the plant to sit in water where fungus and bacteria can grow.
If your fiddle leaf fig smells musty, look for signs of root rot, overwatering, or excess water in the soil.
If you suspect your plant is suffering from root rot, treat your plant with Root Supplement. The unique formula begins working within the first 24 hours and helps to treat and prevent fungal and bacterial root infections.
Cat Urine
If your fiddle leaf fig smells like cat urine, most likely, your cat has been using your plant as a litter box. Discourage your animal from using your plant as its bathroom by lifting the plant up on a table or plant stand. Other ways to discourage cats from coming around your plant are:
- Crunching up aluminum foil and placing it on top of the soil
- Placing forks with tines up in the soil
Neem Oil
Neem oil has an unpleasant smell that can linger. When you use this spray, be mindful of when and where you use it. For an alternative spray that protects your plant from insects and fungus, try Leaf Armor Spray. It has virtually no scent and will not linger or make your plant smell bad.
Why Indoor Fiddle Leaf Figs Don’t Smell
Fiddle leaf figs in the wild will grow fruit and have flowers to attract pollinators. There is a specific wasp that is attracted to the scent of a fiddle leaf fig fruit and flowers. This wasp is needed for successful pollination. This wasp and pollination process is the reason why you will not be able to grow a fiddle leaf fig tree from a seed.
Fiddle Leaf Figs Make Great Indoor Houseplants
Fiddle leaf fig trees do not have a smell and will make your home smell better. Purchase a fiddle leaf fig to help purify the air and add to your indoor houseplant collection.
To learn more:
- Sign up for our free Fiddle Leaf Fig Care 101 Webinar or our free Fiddle Leaf Fig Course, and make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter.
- Download our free Propagation Guide
- Read The Fiddle Leaf Fig Expert, your complete guide to growing healthy fiddle leaf fig plants. The book is available in full-color paperback or Kindle edition on Amazon now!
- Join our Facebook Community and chat with other fiddle leaf fig lovers.
Grab the Essentials for Your Fiddle Leaf Fig:
- Premium Fiddle Leaf Fig Potting Soil
- Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food
- Root Rot Treatment
- Houseplant Leaf Armor to protect against insects, bacteria, and fungus (As an added bonus, it also cleans and adds shine to your plant’s leaves!)
- Moisture meter to always know when your plant is thirsty.
- Houseplant Propagation Promoter to propagate more quickly and with more success.
