Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
Now here’s a great houseplant for beginners as well as more experienced house plant gardeners: the bold, glossy-leaved rubber plant, which, true to its name, was the first source of latex rubber. A plant can reach 10 feet with leaves to 12-18in long, and varieties can have dark green or deep red leaves, sometimes mottled in pink, cream or white, or with gold margins.
Light - Happiest in east window morning light but will tolerate less, especially ‘Robusta’
Temperature - Warm 75-85º F days, 60-65º F nights
Watering - Let the potting mix dry slightly between waterings.
Feeding - Give a houseplant fertilizer monthly when growing actively
Potting Mix - Use an all-purpose potting mix, kept pot-bound in small pots
Tips - Refresh the leaves by wiping them with a damp sponge. If the plant gets too lanky (probably as a result of too little light), prune it hard in spring; it may branch at the cut point. The white latex sap is a stomach irritant – keep it from children and pets.
Written by Graham Rice