⚠ MinorFiddle Leaf Fig Sunburn — Bleached Patches from Direct Sun Exposure
Commonly affects: Ficus lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig)
Large, pale tan or white patches appear on leaves that were previously healthy, in areas exposed to direct sunlight. The patches are dry and papery, with sharply defined edges corresponding to the shadow line of the window frame or a change in light angle. Surrounding leaf tissue remains green and healthy. Ficus lyrata is acclimatised to bright filtered light — direct sun, particularly through glass which magnifies UV intensity, rapidly destroys chlorophyll in cells that have not developed protective pigmentation.
Potential Causes
- 1Direct midday or afternoon sun through unfiltered west or south-facing windows
- 2Sudden placement in direct sun without gradual acclimatisation to higher light intensity
- 3Reflected sun from light-coloured walls or exterior surfaces amplifying intensity beyond the direct beam
Solution Steps
- 1Move the plant immediately out of direct sun or filter the light with a sheer curtain.
- 2Sunburned patches will not heal — remove affected leaves if cosmetically unacceptable, or leave them until they naturally abscise.
- 3If moving from low to higher light, acclimatise over 3-4 weeks by increasing light exposure gradually.
- 4New growth produced in appropriate indirect light will emerge undamaged.
- 5East-facing windows providing direct morning sun (lower intensity than afternoon) are often ideal for Ficus lyrata.
Prevention Tip
Bright indirect light — the kind that produces a soft shadow when you hold your hand near the plant — is the target for Ficus lyrata. Direct sun is too intense without a diffusing filter.
