Cold drafts and temperature swings
Leaf drop on a plant parked near a door, drafty window, or air conditioner is usually cold stress.
Diagnosis
Cold drafts and temperature swings
What's happening
Fiddle leaf figs are tropical and dislike cold air and sudden temperature swings. A blast of cold from an open door, a leaky window in winter, or an AC vent chills the leaves and triggers them to drop, often quite suddenly and from the side facing the draft.
How to fix it
Relocate the plant to a spot that stays consistently between about 65 and 75 degrees, away from exterior doors, single-pane windows, heating, and cooling vents. Avoid letting leaves touch cold glass. Once it's in stable, draft-free warmth, give it time to settle — new leaves should hold on as the temperature evens out.
What fixes it
- A soil moisture meter — Cold-stressed plants use less water; a moisture meter keeps you from overwatering while it recovers in its new spot.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Fiddle Leaf Fig care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this