Species · Tropicals like ficus and jade
Fukien tea
Carmona retusa
Fukien tea (also sold as Ehretia microphylla) carries small, glossy, slightly rough-textured leaves and produces tiny white flowers and red berries even as an indoor tree, given enough light. It is a common starter tropical, tolerant of indoor conditions but genuinely unhappy below around 10°C.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Water when the top few centimetres are dry. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 2 in summer, 3 in autumn and 5 in winter.
- Light
- Bright indirect light to full sun.
- Winter
- Below this, bring it indoors immediately. Protect it when the forecast drops below 10 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 21 days, Apr to Sep.
- Repotting
- Every 2 to 3 years, once nights stay warm, in Apr or May or Jun.
- Growth
- Moderate growth. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | ||||||
| Wire | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | ||||
| Pinch | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep |