I have an indoor ficus benjimina (silver cloud). I live in Edmonton. I was also given a cutting of another ficus but this new cutting, instead of having leaves like the Silver Cloud, has leaves that are totally green and that show stripes of green lines mvoing outward from the middle of the leaf while showing a much lighter shade of green in between the lines. I would like to join the two by propagaation. Or propagate them separately. The Silver cloud has been in a pot for about ten years, (repotted a couple of times) dropped a lot of leaves when I moved it last winter and looks almost barren compared to what it used to look like. The other Ficus, which I do not know the name of, was given to me as full, lush cutting off a tree. The cutting has a couple dozen limbs on it and speads out from a foot and a half to about two feet. Would anyone be able to help me with these questions, please? Many thanks, Ron in Edmonton
So this other ficus looks like F. benjamina but for the coloring? Leaves are pretty much the same shape? Then it's just another F. benjamina. When you say propagate, are you talking about taking cuttings and making new plants or are you hoping to graft the two together? Grafting should work, but if you aren't happy with the growth of your original ficus since last year, it may not be healthy enough to take the graft. It's probably fine, or will be with the spring. How are you storing your ficus cutting? I'd probably root that separately unless you are preparing to graft immediately. The longer it's off the less likely it will take. Any F. benjamina will root easily, just by trimming the cutting and placing in potting soil or in sphagnum peat if you prefer. If you are planning to braid them or something, that's yet another issue.
