Drawn to a small caudex. The day I welcomed a Ficus petiolaris

Hello, I'm Lolo🌱

Today, I'm writing about a new plant I've welcomed.

I've been interested in it for a long time,
and I finally brought a Ficus petiolaris home.

At first, my impression was just that it had a slightly unusual shape.
But the more I looked at it, the more I felt strangely drawn to it.

The round, swollen base.
The thin trunk stretching up from it.
And,the red veins running gently through the heart-shaped leaves.

It's not flashy, yet it has a real presence.

Before I knew it, my heart was captured by that balance.

When I brought it home and misted its leaves,
I suddenly felt, 'This plant lives at a slow pace.'

It doesn't change right away,
and it doesn't feel like it's in a hurry for anything.

But it is definitely here.

When I'm with my plants,
I sometimes think, 'I have to make it grow'
or 'I have to keep it looking beautiful,'

but watching this little one,
I'm reminded that 'time spent just as it is' is also important.

And there is one more thing I'm being careful about this time.

That is,
not repotting it immediately after buying it.

After bringing it home, I let it spend about a week
quietly just as it is.

The reason is,
to let it slowly get used to this environment.

The light, wind, and humidity are all a little different between the shop and my home.
For a plant, that alone is a big change.

For a person, it's like suddenly moving to a place you don't know.

That's why, at first, I just watch over it without doing anything.

I feel that just having this time
often changes how it does later on.

What I'm looking for during this period is,
'how long it takes to show signs that it wants water.'

I'm observing slowly, checking the leaves and the soil
to see how much it dries out in its current environment.

It's almost been a week,
and it doesn't seem to want water yet.

I feel like I'm slowly getting to know its own pace🌿

Ficus petiolaris is also commonly known as the
'Red Umbellata'.Red veins and soft, heart-shaped leaves.

It's a plant that makes you feel a certain warmth when you look at it.

Here, I have a quick question for those reading.



Isn't it a bit surprising that it's a caudex plant even though it's a Ficus?Even though it's a member of the rubber tree family,

it has this plump base.
When I first saw it, I was a little surprised,

thinking, 'There are types like this too.'
These 'little moments of surprise' are often

what start you on the path to loving plants.
In terms of Feng Shui,

it's said to be good for romantic luck,and I can kind of understand why.
Red veins and heart-shaped leaves.

I hope to gently enjoy those meaningsin my daily life as well.

I plan to repot it once it gets used to the environment.
I'll be sure to record those changes and how it's doing here.

With plants, you always want to do something for them,
but I feel there is meaning in the time spent 'waiting without doing anything.'

If anyone has recently welcomed a new plant,

please try that 'waiting time' for a little bit.
And if you have any thoughts after reading this,

or if you have any questions about how to care for it,
I'd be happy if you felt free to ask in the comments.

I hope to connect loosely with others
who enjoy plants just as I do🌱

If you'd like, please tell me how you are spending your 'waiting time' with your plants right now.🌿