Ficus pumila 'Minima' Plants GrowTropicals
Ficus pumila 'Minima' — 12cm
Miniature Creeping Fig

Ficus pumila 'Minima'

£16.99
Hard to kill
Pot size
12cm £16.99

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Complete the set up
Simply Terrarium - Tropical Houseplant Potting Mix
The perfect soil Simply Terrarium - Tropical Houseplant Potting Mix · 2.5L · £3.99
Description

Ficus pumila 'Minima' is the miniature form of the creeping fig, with leaves shrunk to fingernail size: slender, slightly quilted little hearts packed densely along fine, self-clinging stems. It creeps rather than bushes, knitting itself into a flat green mat over compost, cork, rock or glass, which is exactly why it has become a staple of terrarium and vivarium planting. Against the standard Ficus pumila the whole plant reads at half scale, slower and tighter.

Origins. The species comes from East Asia, from China and Taiwan through Japan and Vietnam, where it climbs walls, trunks and rock faces by tiny adhesive roots, the same habit that lets it carpet a terrarium background. 'Minima' is a horticultural selection of this climber, kept for its reduced leaf size; Kew's Plants of the World Online accepts Ficus pumila itself but records no botanical variety minima, so the small-leaved plant is best treated as a cultivar. It is a different plant from the lobed, oak-leaved 'Quercifolia'.

Care. Easy, as long as it never dries out completely. Give it bright to medium indirect light and keep the mix lightly, evenly moist; a creeping fig that dries to a crisp rarely forgives it. It loves humidity, which makes it thrive sealed in a terrarium or humid spot, though it copes in an ordinary room with regular watering. It is unfussy about temperature, tolerating cool rooms down to about 5C, and takes clipping well, so trim freely to keep the mat dense. The milky sap is an irritant and the plant is toxic if eaten, so keep it from pets and wash hands after pruning.

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All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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How to care for Miniature Creeping Fig

Set me near a bright window, out of direct sun and water me little and often so I stay evenly moist.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Miniature Creeping Fig

Ficus pumila 'Minima' is an easy-care houseplant. It needs bright indirect light, watering often enough to keep the compost evenly moist, a little extra humidity and a minimum temperature of 5°C. It is harmful to pets and small children if eaten.

Good for

Living Room Kitchen Bathroom

Care level

EasyChallenge

Easy care

Light

ShadeFull sun

Bright, indirect light

Bright to medium indirect light. It tolerates shadier corners with slower, looser growth. Avoid strong direct sun, which scorches the fine leaves. Read moreShow less

Bright to medium indirect light. It tolerates shadier corners with slower, looser growth. Avoid strong direct sun, which scorches the fine leaves.

Watering

Evenly moistDries out fully

Keep evenly moist

Keep the mix lightly, evenly moist at all times and never let it dry out fully; crisped stems rarely recover. Water less in winter but do not let the root ball parch. Read moreShow less

Keep the mix lightly, evenly moist at all times and never let it dry out fully; crisped stems rarely recover. Water less in winter but do not let the root ball parch.

Humidity

Average homeHigh humidity

Prefers a little extra humidity

Loves humidity and is happiest in a terrarium or on a humid shelf, but copes in a normal room if watering never lapses. Read moreShow less

Loves humidity and is happiest in a terrarium or on a humid shelf, but copes in a normal room if watering never lapses.

Temperature

Keep above 5°C · Tolerates a cool room

Unfussy. Ideal is 15 to 24C and it tolerates cool rooms down to about 5C. Keep it frost free. Read moreShow less

Unfussy. Ideal is 15 to 24C and it tolerates cool rooms down to about 5C. Keep it frost free.

Feeding

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser from spring to autumn, and let it rest over winter.

Growth habit

Trailing →Climbing →

Plant type

Foliage houseplant →

Toxicity

Harmful if chewed or swallowed. Keep it out of reach of pets and small children, and wash your hands after pruning.

Also known as

Ficus pumila 'Minima'

Genus

Ficus →
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'Minima' a real botanical variety?

Not formally. Kew's Plants of the World Online accepts Ficus pumila and a variety pumila, but records no variety minima, so the correct treatment is the cultivar name 'Minima'. The trade writes it both ways; the plant is the same either way, a selected small-leaved form of the creeping fig.

How is it different from standard Ficus pumila and from 'Quercifolia'?

'Minima' is the standard creeping fig at half scale: the same heart-shaped, quilted leaves, just far smaller and on finer stems, with slower, denser growth. 'Quercifolia', sometimes sold as string of frogs or miniature oak leaf fig, is a separate form whose tiny leaves are lobed like oak leaves. If the leaves are little plain hearts it is 'Minima'; if they are lobed it is 'Quercifolia'.

Is it good for terrariums?

One of the best. It stays small, loves the constant humidity, clings to backgrounds, cork and rock by adhesive roots, and takes regular clipping, so it will carpet surfaces without overwhelming slower neighbours the way standard creeping fig can.

Is it safe around pets?

No. Ficus sap contains ficin and psoralen, and the ASPCA lists Ficus as toxic to cats and dogs, causing stomach upset and skin irritation. The RHS also flags Ficus pumila as a skin allergen, so wear gloves when trimming and keep it out of reach.

Will it cling to walls indoors?

Yes, given time and a surface it likes. The juvenile stems attach by tiny adhesive roots, and the grip is strong enough to mark paint or plaster when removed, so give it a frame, cork panel or terrarium background rather than a painted wall you care about.

Are your plants treated with pesticides?
We aim to avoid using pesticides where possible, but we can't control the whole supply chain.

If the plant is going into a vivarium, terrarium or aquarium with live animals, rinse the leaves and roots well, remove any soil and let the plant dry out before adding it. We'd also suggest keeping it away from animals for a month first.
Can I see a photo of the exact plant I'll receive?
We're not able to send photos of individual plants or let you choose a specific one, as plants are selected by our team when your order is packed. Our photos show the variety and the kind of plant you can expect, and yours may vary a little in height, shape or fullness.

If a size has a code next to it, such as 9cm / B2, you're buying the exact plant pictured.
Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Meet the family

Everything about Ficus

Ficus plants are a popular houseplant choice and have been for decades. With their glossy foliage and ability to adapt to indoor conditions, they make beautiful additions to homes and offices. Ficus plants belong to the Moraceae family and are native to tro...

More about Ficus care
Ficus Care Guide
Why Grow Tropicals

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