Fiddle Leaf Figs and Flights?

Let's talk about figs. Clearly I love the adorable and delicious fruits and have named this very blog after them. My Pap (Grandfather) had a fig tree in his yard in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when I was growing up. I would beg and plead with him to please, puh-lease give me some figs! He'd laugh and remind me that they weren't ripe until "it was time to go back to school" in the fall.

Now I have my own yard and fig tree, although on the opposite side of the country in Seattle, Washington. In PA you're supposed to dig up the entire tree and bury it underground for the winter. Lucky for me, we don't have to do that here since temperatures rarely drop below freezing.

That all being said, the important consistency with fig trees on both sides of this country is that they give us figs to eat, right? Makes sense to me...

According to the internet and social media, where everything you see is true, Fiddle Leaf Fig trees are all the rage. Every sparkling clean and all white Instagram living room is dotted only with this green leafy tree. The photo below is a perfect example of this trend from Apartment Therapy.

But really, what is this indoor "fig" tree? Does it produce figs? Why do I want one so badly?!

It's named fiddle for the leaf shape and doesn't produce figs. Read more about them here. I want one so badly because of my recent interest in plants and gardening, and because I somehow always love expensive things. Our local nursery had plenty of mature trees, about 4' in height at the smallest. The starting price was $89.99 and the range went well into the $200s. I went home that day with a small potted plant and a deflated dream, sadly.

A few weeks later we stumbled upon Fiddle Leaf Fig trees at Home Depot for $19.99! They're much smaller and closer to the ground, but that's quite alright with me. The idea is to watch it grow, right?

We took one home and situated it near a large, sunny window and under the cat's perch. So far twice weekly waterings have kept it looking green and spry.

A small amount of satisfaction feels warranted for keeping the plant alive for the first two weeks. A huge amount of excitement came with the discover of this new and bright green baby fiddle!

I'll report back as this fruitless Fiddle Leaf Fig continues to grow. If I kill it I'll try to accept and admit defeat, HA.