The Next Statement House Plant: R.I.P. Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree

After years as the hot houseplant, the ubiquitous fiddle-leaf ficus tree needs to be retired. These five rival specimens are ready for their place in the sun (or partial shade)

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ONCE A HOUSEPLANT becomes so popular that Pottery Barn peddles a polyester version, its sophistication status shrivels faster than a thirsty fern. Consider the fiddle-leaf fig, hashtagged in 79,217 Instagram posts. “I can’t take it anymore!” protested New York designer Lindsey Coral Harper, who’s never put one in a project. “I feel like I’ve seen them in every magazine, every beautiful spread.”

“Fiddles” (named for their violin-shaped leaves) are ubiquitous for good reason: They’re sculptural and tall and, as Ms. Harper...