Ficus elastica /ˈfaɪkəs/
Common name: Rubber plant · Rubber tree · Rubber fig
Ficus elastica is a broadleaf evergreen tree native to South and Southeast Asia, where it can grow over 30 m tall. It has large, thick, glossy leaves that emerge from distinctive sheaths, and it produces a milky latex that was once tapped to make rubber. As a houseplant it grows into an attractive tree-like specimen.
Care summary
Sun
Bright indirect light
Water
Water when top few cm of soil are dry
Soil
Well-draining, fertile potting mix
Hardiness
Zones 10–12
Mature height
Up to 3 m (10 ft) indoors; 30 m+ in the wild
Pet safe
Toxic to cats and dogs if ingested
Difficulty
Easy
Propagation
Propagate by stem cuttings or air layering. Take a 10-15 cm cutting with a few leaves, let the latex stop weeping, then root it in water or moist potting mix; air layering is more reliable for thick stems.
Fun facts
- Its latex was used for rubber production before the Para rubber tree took over commercially.
- In India, related fig trees' aerial roots are guided to grow into "living root bridges" that can hold people.
- Each new leaf emerges wrapped in a colorful sheath that drops off as the leaf unfurls.
- In parts of India it's considered sacred, and wild specimens can become enormous banyan-like trees.