The rubber tree is very popular with us as a houseplant. Here you will find out everything you need to know about caring for, cutting and propagating the rubber tree.
Many people have the tree with the impressively large leaves in their room or office, but there is certainly a lot worth knowing that you may not yet know about the rubber tree (Ficus elastica ) to know. For example, did you know that the Ficus actually belongs to the figs and that rubber for rubber can actually be obtained from its juice? We have compiled more interesting and worth knowing things about the popular rubber tree for you here. You will learn everything about the origin, different varieties, purchase, location, care and typical symptoms of the rubber tree.
Like the edible figs (Ficus carica), the rubber tree belongs to the genus Ficus, i.e. to the fig family, and thus belongs to the fig family to the mulberry family (Moraceae). It is classified in the group of banyan figs, which also includes the poplar fig (banyan tree), which is important in Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha Gautama experienced “enlightenment” sitting under a cottonwood fig and thus became Buddha.
Another name for the rubber tree is Indian rubber tree. Both names already indicate the use of the juice of the plant, because it contains caoutchouc, from which rubber can be made. However, this is a very time-consuming undertaking: it takes a full seven years after planting before the rubber can be harvested for the first time. Under ideal conditions, the rubber tree can live up to 100 years and during this time rubber can be extracted from it up to 30 times. However, the rubber tree is hardly used for rubber production today. Mainly only the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) comes into question.
For us, the tree has much more of an aesthetic function and is used as an ornamental plant. Was the rubber tree so popular in the 1980s that everyone felt like they had it at home,the hype surrounding the tropical tree quickly died down and it disappeared from rooms and offices. Today, however, the rubber tree is experiencing a revival and is once again finding its way into our homes. The main reasons for its popularity are obvious: the rubber tree is beautiful to look at, robust and easy to care for. It has also been proven that the tree can filter formaldehyde from the air and thus contribute to better air quality in the room.
Even Frank Sinatra was so enthusiastic about the rubber tree in 1961 that he even wrote a song about the rubber tree called "High Hopes". One last piece of information worth knowing about the special Ficus: In parts of India, people lead the roots of the tree over ravines and rivers. This is how very impressive, so-called living bridges are created.
Rubber tree: origin and properties
The rubber tree has its original home in an area from north-east India (Assam) to Indonesia (especially on the islands of Sumatra and Java). Today, however, the Ficus elastica is cultivated worldwide. It thrives outside in tropical climates without frost, and as a houseplant in colder climates.
In the wild under tropical conditions the tree can grow up to 40 meters high. Its trunk can reach a diameter of up to two meters. The Ficus elastica is an arborescent hemiepiphyte (strangler fig). The bark is light brown to medium brown and smooth. In the wild, the trunk can also develop aerial roots to anchor itself more firmly in the ground or to support heavy branches. However, this does not happen in the pot. Young plants of the rubber tree can even grow as epiphytes, i.e. epiphytes, without contact to the ground.
As a houseplant, the tree can grow up to two meters high if you let it. The leaves of the tree are up to 30 centimeters long, thick and leathery. They grow alternately and broadly oval with pronounced leaf tips. The petioles can be two to five centimeters long. The leaves are glossy and dark green on top and light green on the underside.
When it comes to flowering and fruiting, things get complicated for rubber trees as houseplants. The tree almost never blooms in a pot. These are only pollinated by a very specific type of wasp - and only then can the tree develop fruit.
Rubber tree blossoms: When does the rubber tree blossom?
Yes, rubber trees are capable of flowering and subsequently small fruitto produce. But popular houseplant species like gum trees and their cousins, the vine figs (Ficus benjamina), rarely flower and, accordingly, rarely bear fruit. Actual gum tree flowers are small, greenish, and inconspicuous. It is very unlikely that they will occur in a plant grown indoors in a pot. Even rubber trees grown outdoors in warm, temperate to semi-tropical conditions rarely flower.
As with other members of the genus Ficus, the flowers require a specific species of fig wasp to pollinate them in a co-developed symbiosis. Because of this relationship, the rubber tree does not produce very colorful or fragrant flowers to attract other pollinators. The Ficus elastica produces small, yellowish figs as fruits, but these have nothing to do with the delicious figs we know from the Mediterranean region, but are inedible.
Gum Tree Varieties
A rubber tree does not necessarily have to have only green leaves. There are also varieties that are characterized by a variegated leaf coloration. We have put together the most beautiful rubber tree varieties for you below:
- ˈRobustaˈ: Probably the most popular variety of the rubber tree; as the name suggests, this strain is extremely hardy; the leaves are oval and dark green
- ˈAustralisˈ: If you only have little space, you should reach for this rubber tree variety, because it impresses with its squat growth
- ˈBelizeˈ: Probably the most colorful variety among the rubber trees; the leaves are variegated red, white and green
- ˈTricolorˈ: This variety also brings color into your room; the leaves are dark green with white and pink spots
- ˈVariegataˈ: This variety has green leaves with yellow areas and yellow leaf edges
- ˈDoescheriˈ: This variety is also three-colored; their leaves are green with cream and gray markings
- ˈMelanyˈ: This rubber tree variety grows particularly dense and bushy; the leaves are dark green with a slight red tinge
Buy a rubber tree: You should pay attention to this
So that you can enjoy your new green roommate for a long time, you should do everything right when you buy it. The following points should be considered when buying a rubber tree:
- Vital and he althy impression
- Plant does not lose leaves
- No stains or discolouration on the leaves
- No foul smell
- Plant is disease freeand pests
You can buy rubber trees in hardware stores, garden centers, in many furniture stores or on the Internet. It's worth doing some research and comparing prices before you buy, as price differences between retailers can be significant. Of course, the size of the tree is also decisive for the price. The rubber tree grows quite slowly, which is why it can take a few years for a small tree to grow into a stately plant.
The perfect location for the rubber tree
In order for your tree to grow and thrive, it should be placed in a suitable location. The rubber tree likes it warm and sunny - no wonder, since it comes from tropical warm areas. However, you should still avoid blazing midday sun, as this is not good for the tree. It is also important that the Ficus is not exposed to draughts. As usual in his tropical homeland, he likes it warm. He feels most comfortable at temperatures between 18 and 20 °C. If the temperature falls below 16 °C, he begins to shiver. Light is also important to the rubber tree, because it likes it as bright as possible. If it is too shady and dark, the tree may lose its leaves. So always choose a bright spot for your tree.
Tip: Varieties with multicolored leaves need even more light than solid green varieties. In dark corners it is therefore urgently necessary to set up a plant lamp so that the tree does not lose its leaves.
Another aspect is the humidity. Too dry room air is bad for the rubber tree. It is best to keep the humidity above 50% at all times.
Summary of site requirements of the rubber tree:
- Sunny to semi-shady
- No blazing midday sun
- No Draft
- Warm, between 18 and 20°C
- As bright as possible
- Ideal humidity above 50%
Repot rubber tree
As soon as the surface of the substrate in the pot of the rubber tree begins to bulge or the substrate is completely rooted, it is time to repot the Ficus. This should be done at least every two to three years. If the rubber tree does not have enough space in the pot, it can cause it to lose its leaves. The best time for repotting is spring, from late February to early March.
First mix suitable substrate for the rubber tree. It is important here that the substrate is as rich in structure and well permeable as possible. Otherwise waterlogging can occur in the pot, which damages the rubber tree. If the nutrient content in the substrate is too high, you are not doing your rubber tree any favors, it should be poor in nutrients. As a suitable substrate, you can mix conventional potting soil with perlite, lava granules or coconut fibers to give the soil structure and make it more permeable.
Summary of ideal substrate for the rubber tree:
- Permeable
- Structured
- Moderate nutrient content
- Potting soil enriched with perlite, lava granules or coconut fibres
The new pot for your Ficus should only be slightly larger than the old one. This is the best way for the tree to develop further. If possible, choose a planter that is only five to ten centimeters larger in circumference than the last one. Then create a drainage layer in the pot so that the water can drain off easily. For example, potsherds or expanded clay are suitable for this. Now fill one third of the mixed substrate over the drainage layer and place the rubber tree in the middle of the pot.
Tip: In the case of larger specimens, repotting alone is hardly possible. So seek help with this endeavor.
Now the rest of the pot is filled with substrate, leaving about five centimeters below the edge. Finally, the tree is watered well, but excess water in the saucer is removed.
Repot rubber tree summary:
- Carefully remove the old pot from the root ball
- Cut off old, dead and rotten roots
- New planter: Maximum 5 - 10 cm larger than the old one
- Create drainage layer
- Fill a third of the planter with substrate
- Put the rubber tree in the middle of the pot
- Fill the planter with substrate Approx. Leave 5 cm high rim free
- Water well
Propagate rubber tree
If you can't get enough of rubber trees, consider propagating your tree. Luckily, the Ficus elastica can be easily self-propagated using two different methods: either by cuttings or by mossing. When propagating cuttings, cuttings are cut from a he althy shoot on the tree and grown in cuttings substrate. This method iseasy to do. It gets a bit more complicated when removing the moss: Here, a shoot is cut and divided by a wedge. Moss is then wrapped around the interface, which is intended to stimulate the shoot to form new roots. This procedure is more time consuming than cutting cuttings. If you succeed, however, you have gained a very large new rubber tree.
You can find step-by-step instructions for the two rubber tree propagation methods here.
Care for rubber tree
Fortunately, the rubber tree is considered robust and therefore requires little care. However, you should still give your tree a little attention. It will reward you with vigorous growth and beautiful leaves. We will therefore tell you everything about the correct watering, cutting and fertilizing of the popular houseplant.
You can read detailed care instructions for the rubber tree in our special article on the subject here.
Watering the rubber tree
A common mistake in caring for rubber trees is overwatering. The rubber tree is much more forgiving of longer periods of drought than feet that are too wet. Therefore, you should proceed as follows when watering the tree.
Watering rubber tree instructions:
- Check substrate with finger test
- Let top layer of substrate dry off
- Water moderately
- Avoid waterlogging at all costs
- Alternatively irrigate by immersion
Pruning Rubber Tree
The rubber tree is considered pruning tolerant, but generally does not require regular pruning. Pruning measures are only necessary if you want to curb the growth of the tree, want to encourage side shoots or the tree is growing unattractively. Of course, you should also use scissors if the tree is infested with pests. For pruning it is advisable to always use clean tools, either a sharp knife or pruning shears. The milky-white plant sap, which can lead to skin irritation and is poisonous, escapes from the cuts. Therefore, always wear gloves when cutting. You can dab the cuts with a damp cloth or sprinkle them with lukewarm water.
Cutting rubber tree instructions:
- To stem growth, prune the entire crown
- To encourage side shoots, cut the trunk above "sleeping eyes"
- Prune side shoots for upright growth
- Remove dried, dead parts of plants and those affected by disease or pests immediately
- Care for Wounds
You can read more tips and tricks on how to best prune your rubber tree here.
Fertilize rubber tree
The rubber tree also doesn't like too many nutrients. Therefore, when fertilizing, the following rule applies: less is more.
Fertilize the rubber tree:
- Don't fertilize too much
- Preferably every 3 months with a long-term organic fertilizer
- Alternatively every 6 weeks with liquid fertilizer
Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer with organic long-term effect is ideal for the rubber tree. It optimally supplies your rubber tree with all the important nutrients and is also good for the environment because it consists only of natural ingredients.
Rubber tree loses leaves
Of course, if your rubber tree loses leaves, this is not nice to look at and you should act as soon as possible. A leaf loss can have various reasons. For example, incorrect watering, the wrong location or lack of space in the pot, incorrect fertilization or pests can be causes of such. That's why it's important to find out the cause first. Once this is known, you can act accordingly. The following measures will help your rubber tree in case of leaf loss.
Measures against leaf loss on rubber trees:
- Change of location
- Repot into a larger container if there is not enough space
- If the substrate is too dry, immerse the whole pot in water
- Repot if substrate is too wet
- Repot if overfertilized
- Treat in case of pest infestation or use beneficial insects
In our special article here you can read everything else about leaf loss in rubber trees.
Frequent diseases and pests on rubber trees
If the rubber tree is weak or the site conditions are not optimal, the probability that your tree will be attacked by pests or diseases increases. As a preventive measure, you should therefore always ensure optimal growth conditions. The most common reasons for pest infestations are too warm a location and too dry air.
The most common rubber tree pests are spider mites (Tetranychidae), scale insects (Coccoidea) and mealybugs (Homoptera ). You can recognize an infestation when the leaves turn yellow, dry up and fall off.More rarely, the rubber tree is also attacked by fungus gnats (Sciaridae). Possible means that you can use against the unwanted pests are ecological or chemical sprays. Neem oil, for example, is proven against pests. Another way to get rid of unwanted pests is to use beneficial insects. These are natural opponents of the pests, who like to eat them and fight them in this way. For example, predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) help as antagonists against spider mites. Ichneumon wasps (Ichneumonidae) are useful insects against scale insects and mealybugs. The use of nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) can help against fungus gnats.
Is the rubber tree poisonous?
As beautiful as the rubber tree is to look at, under no circumstances should you eat it. This is because the plant parts of the tree contain not only rubber but also chlorogenic acid. This is slightly toxic and therefore the rubber tree is also classified as slightly toxic. Contact with the skin can cause skin irritation or even allergic reactions. If a plant part of the rubber tree is swallowed, it irritates the mucous membranes; other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. In adults, poisoning is not very severe, but it is different in small children. If there is a suspicion of rubber tree poisoning, you should definitely consult a doctor.
You can find out everything you need to know about the toxicity of the rubber tree here in our special article.