Rubber Plant
4.6 out of 5 (413 experiences)
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
About Rubber Plant
Ficus elastica, more commonly known as the rubber tree, has a white, milky latex that is a source of natural rubber. They’ve also been shown to have excellent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The aerial roots of the rubber tree have been used to create incredible living bridges in India. The bridges get stronger over time as the roots slowly fuse together, and some are over a hundred years old! 🌉
Taxonomy
Ficus elastica
Ficus
Moraceae
Rosales
Also known as
Rubber Tree, Rubber Fig, Rubber Bush, Indian Rubber Bush and Indian Rubber Tree
How to care for Rubber Plant
How often to water your Rubber Plant
every 9
Rubber Plant needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
9
Finding light for Rubber Plant in your home
a window
Rubber Plant love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.
Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Rubber Plant does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Rubber Plant in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Rubber Plant
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Rubber Plant after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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I have not moved it or changed its habits. Why the droop and discoloration? #RubberPlant
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My #RubberPlant is growing too fast! Prune or re-pot? This thing has tripled in size in the year that I’ve had it. It is unstable and close to tipping over, so…time to do something. Here my dilemma: I like where the plant is (on top of that side table). I’m not sure I have a perfect spot for a super tall rubber tree. But I feel like this one is so healthy and robust I should let her do her thing— re-pot and stake? What do you guys think?? Thanks! #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #NewGrowth #PropagationStation #
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Hi!! I have a rubber plant and just noticed one of the leaves looks like this. Should I be worried?
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New leaves or new roots? I have this rubber plant for a few months now and I noticed this branch sticking off the vase and now it’s like blooming? Not sure if these are roots though? 😂
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My Rubber plant is babying!! I think this is a new plant growing, right? I bought a pole so I will make sure it grows straight 😍😍😍
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I did an experiment! Any feedback/criticism would be greatly appreciated. So here’s the deal. I have two rubber plants that started shedding a lot of leaves for no reason. You can read more about it in my prior post. Some people suggested that they are tropical and I should mist their leaves. So I decided to take one outside in Florida humidity where it gets natural rain every 3 days on average and 4 hrs direct sunlight on average. The other plant I kept in the same spot and started taking more care of it, misting the leaves and roots daily and watering it regularly. Ok… results: Pictures of both plants are attached and show the progress. It has been 10 days now. So I kinda forgot to check on the outdoor plant for the first 3 days since I tore my ACL in a motorcycle accident. When I checked on it day 3 it was completely droopy so I decided to water it since it hasn’t rained and misted its leaves. The indoor plant dropped 3 leaves since the experiment also their seems to me moss/ white webs forming on the top of the soil.. I’m sure that’s not great. The outdoor plant doesn’t have that same issue but it looks like it got a little sunburnt. Either way… lmk what you guys think based on the pictures. Both plants have lost a lot of leaves since I gotten them and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. The pics obviously show which was outdoor and which was indoor. Happy planting! #RubberPlant #Experiment #HappyPlants
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EEEEEEEP #FreshLeafFriday EVE EXCITEMENT!!! I know that it is technically not fresh leaf Friday yet, but I am checking on some of my little propagations, and I was so excited to see these guys peeking out! I’m still undecided on what this cutting actually was but I’m so glad that I have been patient! #RubberPlant
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A lot of leaves falling off my rubber plants? Hey plant parents, I have two rubber plants that keep shedding leaves, I don’t know if this is normal. It’s happening to both my rubber plants. As far as I can tell the plants are healthy. The leaves break off at the root… most of the times on their own other times if I touch it or move it and it hits a wall lightly and sometimes just from the ceiling fan the leaves fall. They seem very fragile. Is that normal? #RubberPlant #leaves
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Leaves drooping #Ficus
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Happy #FreshLeafFriday ! My tineke has had some serious growth over the last week! #Ficus #FicusGang #NewGrowth #GregGang #HappyPlants
Rubber Plant is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!
💦 Water Needs
Rubber Plant prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
☀️ Sunlight Needs
Rubber Plant requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity
Rubber Plant is not safe to consume. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian. If you have children, cats, or dogs in the home, we suggest keeping this plant out of reach.
Rubber Plant Toxicity to Cats →
💨 Humidity
Rubber Plant prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.
🪴 Soil
Rubber Plant does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!
💩 Fertilizer
Rubber Plant should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
❄️ Dormancy
It’s common for Rubber Plant to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.
🌎 Native Region
Rubber Plant is native to worldwide Tropics.
🌸 Flowers
Rubber Plant produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.
⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern
Rubber Plant will branch off as it grows. To encourage branching, pinch off the newest growth at the tip and the stem will branch off into two.
🌦️ Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Rubber Plant can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10a-12a. Find your local hardiness zone here.
🌱 Propagation
Rubber Plant can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:
- Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
- To get the cutting to root, you can either:
- Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.
🍂 Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.
Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Rubber Plant, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.
Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!
🧐 Troubleshooting
When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.
Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.
Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.
Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.
Care Summary for Rubber Plant
Rubber Plant
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 9 days
Placement
< 1ft from a window
Nutrients
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Large, lush leaves 252
Survivor 225
Fast grower 169
Easy to propagate 39
Blooms easily 19
Browns easily 16
Pest magnet 11
03/30/2022
Big shiny leaves! Thrives in average humidity & temp. Can take a couple hours of direct sun in the summer without getting brown spots. Likes to dry out between waterings. Pests avoid it.
Large, lush leaves
Fast grower
Survivor
03/17/2022
I love these plants. Beautiful hardy leaves, for the most part let’s you know when it’s sad, and propagates easy. Mine likes to dry out between waterings.
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate
02/08/2022
I’ve had this ficus for years now, probably 3 or 4 and she’s doing so great. She’s survived 3 moves and almost 5 months of no watering at all and just living off a self-watering pot. Unbelievable really. She’s been repotted 3 times and grows so much every time I do that. I did have to give it support so it would stand more upright or else the branches lean and open up toward the side.
Overall a beautiful, hardy plant that, placed in the right spot that she likes, will thrive and grow and grow. It takes a little testing to see where she’s happy but when you find it, boom! You’re set.
I love her!
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
02/07/2022
Keep it in the same spot. They don’t like to be moved around the house
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
02/04/2022
Grows quickly and does need support like a bamboo stake
Fast grower
01/26/2022
Love love love this plant.
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Blooms easily
Survivor
01/26/2022
Water plant Biweekly/every 14 days avoid overwatering and let the soil drain. Have good soil that prevents over or under watering.
Blooms easily
Survivor
Easy to propagate
01/24/2022
Love my rubber plant. Starting growing her from a baby. A little finicky with lighting but is growing nicely.
Fast grower
Survivor
01/18/2022
Plays a mean cello
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
01/17/2022
Gorgeous coloration.
01/17/2022
Such a beautiful plant and so easy to care for. Keep the soil moist and give it bright light and it just flourishes.
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
01/15/2022
Very pretty and easy to maintain. Very happy plant 😇🌱
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
12/27/2021
Very pretty and easy to maintain.
Survivor
12/22/2021
Get into ficus it’ll be fun!
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate
Survivor
12/21/2021
Super fast grower in the correct light conditions and rewarding to watch because every couple leaves adds inches. Also very tolerant of low light - I had it on a bottom shelf with almost no light for a year and it was fine. It didn’t grow, but it didn’t suffer. Then as soon as I put it in a bright windowsill it started popping out leaves like crazy.
Large, lush leaves
Fast grower
Survivor
12/20/2021
Not cat friendly.
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
12/13/2021
Low Maintenance easy to take care of
Fast grower
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
12/08/2021
Easy to grow!
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
12/01/2021
An alright plant. Lovely sized leaves. However they do drop them like there is no tomorrow!
Large, lush leaves
11/24/2021
Super easy. Doesn’t need water all that often and just does its thing! If it doesn’t have enough light it won’t grow very much/at all.
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