We have been blessed with a hardy indoor ficus that my father gave me over 20 years ago. No matter how often I forget to water it, it persists on living. These last 14 years it has graced our 2-story living room. We have uprooted it and moved it into larger pots several times as it's grown and I'd say it is now in its forever pot, mainly bc it can't be easily moved at this point. It is also at the point that it's hard to maintain a trim appearance and continually hangs over the heads of anyone sitting on our couch. We are getting our carpets replaced this week so we had to move the ficus out of the room which was quite an effort. So we've placed it outside for the time being. And now we realize we probably don't want (or can't) bring it back inside. Do you know if a nursery would want to take it and sell it? Or should we hire a professional to trim it and shape it so that it's easier to care for? Any suggestions on what to do with this thriving plant would be appreciated.

Have you thought of posting it on Craig's list, or similar?

I haven't listed it yet on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. If there's a way to trim and turn it into a manageable size again, I'd love to have it back in our home. But it would probably require regular maintenance which I'm not too keen on. I probably should try listing it.

Oh, they'll take all the pruning you want to give them, but it will be on going.

I've got an indoor Ficus that is over 25 years old. Maintenance really isn't that difficult. I prune it a couple times a year and root prune whenever I repot (back into the same pot). If you are attached to your plant, keep it and prune.

I would just trim it back all the way around to what works for the space and what's pleasing to you, don't need a pro for that. Too beautiful to get rid of in my opinion

Ficus Benjamina's are among the most "prunable" of all plants. I have pruned some so far back that they were literally leafless and they came back soon enough. You simply cannot over-prune a healthy Ficus, which yours is. The worst that happens is that you take too much off, but it will grow back in, albeit not overnight.

I wish I lived near you. I would pop over in a minute and prune it back to the size and shape you prefer. Today I pruned someone' overgrown Fiddle-leafed Fig and tomorrow I get to prune someone's Fabian Aralia. Pruning is very satisfying and so often neglected out of fear. But if you overcome your anxiety, you don't need me or anyone else. Get your pruners out and go for it.

One caveat: the white sap can stain fabric and cause skin irritation. Best to use gloves and do the pruning outside.

Take the ficus out of its pot. Cut back the roots by a third, knock off some of the soil, replace in same pot, add fresh soil. Take off a third to one half of the plant growth. Just trim back to nodes on each stem and take off what looks out of place. There you can do this every 2-3 years indefinitely with no harm to the plant. You can do this with many plants that are woody; so don't be afraid to prune. Plants often thrive with a "haircut' every now and then.

What a beautiful Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) I agree, it can be pruned to a desired height without any problems. In tropical and subtropical climates they are grown as landscape trees or pruned as hedges.

Don't be surprised if your tree begins losing lots of leaves since you've moved it outdoors. Weeping Figs can sometimes be very temperamental when their location is changed. I had two 8 foot trees in my pool area years ago and they'd pout and sometimes drop every single leaf if I moved them just 6 feet, from one location to another; what a mess they'd make, with so many browning and dropping leaves but they always grew new foliage once they were acclimated to their new location.

There is no need to prune the roots. That is a lot of work and unnecessary. Just prune back the stems and branches to the size you prefer.

In the past we have pruned it back but not as often as it needs it, so it becomes unruly hanging over people's heads sitting on the couch and its leaves actually tickle people's heads. We also have to turn it so that it gets sunlight more evenly through the windows bc one side always thrives and greens more than the other. We are really on the fence on what to do bc it has turned out to be a high maintenance plant due to its thriving nature. But should we decide to keep it and bring it back inside, I just don't know if we can possibly lift that pot. It is extremely heavy. It took my husband and my 2 teenage sons dragging it on the floor to get it out on our deck. Now that we have a brand new carpet in the room, I'm hesitant to drag anything on there. I just wish they were outdoor tolerant in our zone! I would love to keep it outside.

Something that size and weight requires a hand truck or dolly to move from one location to another! If there's a local botanical garden in your area, you might consider donating your lovely tree, with the condition that they pick it up for transport. If you decide to sell it, I'm sure you will quickly find a buyer and with the money you make, you could purchase smaller plants to grow as indoor houseplants.

Mine sits on a wooden plant dolly. I turn it one quarter turn every time I water.

AdrianaJones said:In the past we have pruned it back but not as often as it needs it, so it becomes unruly hanging over people's heads sitting on the couch and its leaves actually tickle people's heads. We also have to turn it so that it gets sunlight more evenly through the windows bc one side always thrives and greens more than the other. We are really on the fence on what to do bc it has turned out to be a high maintenance plant due to its thriving nature. But should we decide to keep it and bring it back inside, I just don't know if we can possibly lift that pot. It is extremely heavy. It took my husband and my 2 teenage sons dragging it on the floor to get it out on our deck. Now that we have a brand new carpet in the room, I'm hesitant to drag anything on there. I just wish they were outdoor tolerant in our zone! I would love to keep it outside.

You are the one who must make the decision to keep your plant or re-home it.