Fiddleleaf fig trees pop up regularly in photos of design inspiration — and for good reason. The floppy, large green leaves of Ficus lyrata make a room look brighter and feel happier. Despite its common name, the tropical native rarely produces fruit when grown indoors. If you decide to include one in your home, look for a specimen at a nursery or home improvement store selling plants. Put it in a spot where it’ll receive indirect sunlight, water once a week or when the soil feels dry to the touch, make sure it’s in a pot that drains well and repot it in the spring if its roots are starting to grow out the bottom of the container. SPACE Architects + Planners It’s a rare room that doesn’t look better with greenery. In this Chicago home, a fiddleleaf fig tree echoes plantings outside the large bank of windows. Tamara Mack Design If one tree is good, a pair may be even better flanking a fireplace. JWT Associates Fiddleleaf figs have become favorites in part because of their quirky character. This one has grown quite large (the trees can reach 12 feet indoors), whimsically stretching out over the room in a renovated 1938 Los Angeles home. Alison Kandler Interior Design Another large example has taken over a living room corner in a California beach cottage, adding to the eclectic look of the design. Rikki Snyder What’s better than just a fiddleleaf fig on its own? This room includes not only the tree but also drapery showcasing its leaves on a textile by Peter Dunham, aptly named Fig Leaf. Burnham Design Popular in living rooms, these houseplants are also seen brightening bedrooms with their emerald green leaves. Here’s another fun instance of tree mirroring textile — or is it the other way around? Jeri Koegel Photography Imagining this bedroom without the fiddleleaf fig makes a strong case for the concept that greenery brings an important sense of life to a room. Blackband Design The tree looks particularly fine against white walls, which highlight the greenery. Christy Allen Designs It’s also striking in front of vivid coral walls. And what a playful design gesture to set it next to a photograph of an orchard. Bliss Home & Design An entry with adequate light can be a welcoming spot to put a fiddleleaf fig. In this example, the leaves rise up perfectly to the height of the banister in a dramatic flourish. Y.A. studio One doesn’t typically think of placing a tree in a kitchen, but if there’s space in a corner by a window, why not? Scott Morris Architects Nor is a tree expected in a bathroom, yet it appears there’s just enough light streaming through the window behind the fiddleleaf fig for this placement to work. Echo Ranch Staging As an increasingly popular accessory, the fiddleleaf fig doesn’t seem to favor one style over another, looking right at home in this midcentury modern room in Los Angeles. The Marion House Book On the other end of the spectrum, the tree fits equally well in a Victorian home. In this enclosed porch, the fiddleleaf fig behind the sofa creates an effective visual bridge to the greenery just beyond the windows.

So if you’re game for extending a little TLC to a home accessory, considering bringing one of these charming beauties into a room of your own.