Question: I have a weeping fig that is dropping most of its leaves. I’m really wondering if I’ll be able to save it.

Answer: Weeping figs are related closely to rubber plants, and many of their problems are shared. They’re odd plants, in that they produce leaves that are adapted to the amount of light they’re receiving. The actual physiological make-up of those leaves will be different if they’re in bright sunlight than if they’re in a medium-light situation. As soon as you move a weeping fig from one light level to another, you can expect it to start dropping leaves. Even if you merely turn it in its current location near a bright window, you can expect it to shed some of its leaves. Best advice: give weeping figs extremely bright light indoors, then leave them alone. If you rotate them at all, do it only a quarter of a turn each week. Be careful, when pulling the drapes or closing the blinds, that you don’t seriously alter the amount of light the plant receives. They’re great plants, but they’re really touchy about the lighting.