Ficus problems

One of my friends has a house plant. I believe it is some type of ficus (possibly ficus benjamina but I am not certain). It has been kept inside with very little light (it was in the middle of a very large room, not near windows). Slowly over the months I saw its leaves drop and it has been passed to me so I can attempt to save it. I have decided I think it is dead on arrival but I just wanted some opinions from people who have experience with ficus plants :skp:

- I hear they can drop leaves but now it doesn't have any at all. It's been like this for I'd say a few months now.
- Its soil is drier than a bone and comes out in one block when I lift the... I suppose they would be called trunks.
- The "trunks" are more like twigs. I scraped one and it has no green anywhere, although it might be other plants where you test for life like that...

Is it dead, or just sleeping?!

 

If you see no green under the bark and its not bleeding white sap its probably,......Dead.

Try right down at the base.

 

I wouldn't give up on it just yet, they are pretty hardy plants. It depends on how long it's been 'sleeping'. Put the pot in a bowl of water to thoroughly soak the compost, then leave it for the winter in a cool, light room. I've seen them magicaly come back to life in the spring. If it does survive and you get new growth, it's really easy to take cuttings for new plants. The best one I ever grew was next to a sunny window in the kitchen where it had lots of light and high humidity.

 

Well, I gave it a go but.... it's deader than a doornail! RIP ficus-type plant... or should I say stick... I wonder if by now he's forgotten all about it Looks like I have been plant-sitting a twig.