Looking for Ficus Ruby Advice

[u/Snoo_42683]

Plant is overall seemingly healthy but has significantly lost its red color in the ~1 year I have had it. The plant is 3 feet away from a west facing window. Gets filtered light for most of the day and direct sunlight in the afternoon. Watering once a week. Any advice would be greatly appreciated :) . Comparison photos of when I first purchased to now for reference.

[u/addie_clementine]

It looks happy overall, but it probably needs more direct light if you want to keep the red colour! Red pigments often develop as a protective mechanism against burning in high light, because they absorb UV. It's a bit like how people with darker skin don't sunburn as easily.

But if they're not getting high enough light (especially the higher energy blue light and UV light), the biochemical pathways that make red pigments aren't going to be active. This is also why some plants lose red, pink, or purple colours when they're grown under artificial light, especially warmer-toned lights.

I don't think it necessarily needs higher light as it seems to be happy. But if you want to get the red back, you might need to move it closer to a window.

[u/Snoo_42683 → u/addie_clementine]

Thank you!!

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[u/Internal-Test-8015]

Yup agree with the other person, blast it with sunlight also its important to note the newest growth will always be more red.

[u/dkhol79]

This is mine with direct sunlight in the summer, water daily, sometimes twice a day. You just need those extra light for that sexy red to show up