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ollecting houseplants has become something of a fad in recent years—so much so that it’s not uncommon to overhear friends or folks at work discussing the difficulties of keeping houseplants alive and healthy. And yet, sometimes those leafy, overlooked companions are remarkably tenacious. Despite neglect, these plants refuse to wither away—and sometimes even thrive. A Prolific Fiddle-leaf Fig Jordan Rose, a chemistry teacher at Lawrence Free State High School, has had a fiddle-leaf fig for 25 years, a gift from her mother-in-law in 2000. “This original one was one of many large plants that she used to decorate the barn where we had our wedding reception,” Rose says. The fiddle-leaf (or banjo) fig is a popular ornamental houseplant. It’s native to Africa and technically a tree in the mulberry and fig family. It also has a reputation for being a finicky houseplant when it comes to getting the correct light, water and temperature. But Rose hasn’t had that problem. She thinks it might just be the conditions in her home, but whatever the reason, her fiddle-leaf fig grows, well … like a tree. Rose insists she doesn’t baby it. In fact, she says she largely ignores it, using a popular tool called a Plant Nanny to keep it watered. Still, it keeps reaching for the stars. “Every time it gets too tall for my house, I cut off the top and it comes back,” she says. Rose has also given several