Tiny Vines, Big Scenes: Creative Ways to Grow Creeping Fig

This is a summary post about small-leaf creeping fig, Ficus pumila ‘Quercifolia’.

I’ve tried many different ways to grow it, and what I love most is watching it climb over different surfaces.

I’ve tried glass, stone, small branches, driftwood, and the little castle inserts I shared a few days ago. Today, I want to put them all together in one post.

First, let’s talk about glass. These two are good examples.

Next is creeping fig growing on stone. This one is on dragon stone.

Then there are the thin little branches. This is the kind of look I personally really like. It feels very natural, like old deadwood covered with vines.

Besides thin branches, driftwood is also a great support for creeping fig. People used to ask me all the time, “I want to make an island in my aquarium,” or “I want part of the layout to rise above the water.” Actually, a piece of driftwood is a very good choice.

Wrap some sphagnum moss around the part of the driftwood near the water, insert a few strands of creeping fig, and let the plant attach to the wood. That becomes the simplest kind of island.

The next example is still glass, but this time I added small castle rack. These two little castles are plastic pieces that we designed and printed ourselves. You simply place the insert against the glass and push it into the soil. That’s it.

The final effect looks like this (in 1.5 - 2 months). These castle rack are already listed in my website.

Lastly, I want to add one more thing.

People often ask me why their creeping fig has stopped growing. For many cases, I can’t judge without knowing the full situation. But based on my own experience, the most common reason is not enough humidity.

Some people may say, “But I water it every day. It’s almost waterlogged.” Please note: watering and humidity are not the same thing. The humidity at the bottom of a container and the humidity near the top can be very different.

This kind of moisture-loving plant needs water sprayed into the air to increase air humidity.

That’s why I usually grow creeping fig in small greenhouse-style terrariums with doors. I may only need to mist once or twice a week, or even forget sometimes, and it still grows quite well.