You’ve probably seen Ficus in living rooms, lobbies, or maybe even grown one yourself, but how much do you really know about these iconic houseplants? Check out this week’s Good Growing Podcast as we explore the surprisingly diverse world of Ficus. From weeping figs and rubber trees to creeping figs and giant banyans, we dive into their history, care, different species, and more!

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2hx5VXZrJmg

Skip to what you want to know:

00:41 – There are a lot of ficus species!

02:12 – Ficus species native to the United States, and what are strangler figs.

07:08 – What are Ficus?

12:25 – General care of Ficus houseplants.

22:23 – Common Ficus houseplants

23:38 – Ficus benjamina (weeping fig)

27:14 – Ficus elastica (rubber tree)

33:15 – Ficus lyrata (fiddle leaf fig)

36:03 – Ficus benghalensis (banyan, Ficus Audrey)

42:35 – Ficus maclellandii (banana/long leaf fig, Ficus Alli)

45:31 – Ficus microcarpa (Ginseng ficus, Chinese banyan, Indian laurel)

49:09 – Ficus pumila (creeping fig)

53:08 – Ficus propagation

56:37 – Less commonly encountered ficus houseplants

59:12 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

More information:

National Garden Bureau

Ficus: Trees and Vine of Florida (University of Florida)

Gods and Monsters: The Genus Ficus (Brooklyn Botanic Garden)

Contact us!

Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu

Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk

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You can find us on most podcast platforms.

iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377

Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR

Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/

Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/

Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902

Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us

Welcome back to the Good Growing Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re sharing a special throwback conversation with Dr. Michael Ward, ornithologist at the University of Illinois. We’re answering real homeowner questions about backyard birds—everything from bird feeders to territorial cardinals to preventing window collisions.

If you’re wondering what to feed birds, how to clean feeders, why birds hit windows, or how to attract more colorful birds to your yard, this episode is packed with expert insights to help you create a healthier, more bird‑friendly backyard.

Watch this on YouTube https://youtu.be/jKHrH_eeGFo

The full conversation with Dr. Ward https://youtu.be/HxZ3HiI69hs

Skip to what you want to know:
01:30 How do we discourage barn swallows from building nests underneath overhangs?
03:52 Should we feed birds bread, crackers, and other human food?
05:10 Is there anything we can do to stop birds from hitting our windows?
07:33 What can we do about a territorial cardinal?
08:47 Should we feed birds all year? When is the best time to feed birds?
10:33 I only get sparrows at my feeders. How do I attract more types of birds?
12:22 Do we need to provide birds with water in the winter, or do they use snow?
13:18 How often and with what should we clean birdfeeders?

Contact us!
Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu
Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk

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You can find us on most podcast platforms.
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377
Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR
Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/
Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/
Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902
Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us

It’s a new year, which means a new gardening season will be here before we know it. Check out this week’s Good Growing Podcast as we look back on our most popular episodes and standout moments from 2025. From battling mosquitoes to celebrating pollinator plants like milkweed and mountain mint, we revisit the topics that sparked the most conversation. Plus, we share some of our plans for 2026, from expanding native plantings to growing food and flowers for community donation, and more!

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-1T-xDTG_W0

Skip to what you want to know:

01:30 – Most popular podcasts of 2025

09:07 – Our favorite episodes and things we learned

17:43 – Reflecting on the 2025 growing season

30:53 – Looking ahead to the 2026 growing season

46:41 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Popular episodes and videos:

Clustered Mountain Mint - Perennial Plant of the Year

Get to Know Asclepias (Milkweed) 2025 plant of the year

Gardenbite: The life and bites of buffalo gnats

Summer Mosquito Control: What Really Works to Keep Bites Away

Vegetable gardening in small spaces

Compost your way: Passive and active composting styles

Chamomile: Discover 2025's herb of the year

Peonies: Beauty, history, and backyard blooms

The cranberry story: Native roots and modern agriculture

Discovering Dogwoods: From trees to shrubs and even groundcovers!

Answering your spring gardening questions

Fall gardening questions answered

Spring beauty in the landscape

Contact us!

Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu

Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu
Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.

iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377

Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR

Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/

Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/

Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902

Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us