Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) – Description and Uses

Leaf Persistence
Evergreen
Form
Tree of Spreading Canopy Shape
Texture
Coarse
Growth Rate
Fast / Indoors: Moderate

Flowering Period (Tropics)
Sporadically through the year
Fruiting Period
Sporadically through the year
Height
15-23 m (50-75 ft) Indoors: 0.90-3 m (3-10 ft)
Diameter
10-15 m (30-50 ft) Indoors: 0.90-3 m (3-10 ft)

Leaves Shape
Oblong to Elliptic
Foliage Colour
Green
Autumn Foliage Colour
Green

Flowers Shape
In Syconium (Not Showy)
Flowers Colour
Creamy – White
Fruit
Fig

Soil Type: Well-drained, sand, loam
Exposure: Sun, Half-shade
Soil pH: 5-8.3
Watering: Moderate
Hardiness: 1.7 °C (35 °F – USDA Hardiness Zone 10b)

In parks, squares, gardens, pots and planters indoors and outdoors

For the etymology of the name of the genus, we urge the so understanding reader to click here and go to Ficus lyrata where there wil find no lost objects and such things but a complete interpretation

The name of the elastica species is the Neo-Latin version of the Ancient Greek words ‘ἐλαστής, ἐλαστός’, both produced by the also Ancient Greek, ‘ἐλαύνειν, ἐλαύνω’. These in turn come from the Indo-European *h₁el- which means ‘to drive, set in motion, push, strike, beat out’. The ‘ἐλαστός’ is another form of the adjective ‘ἐλατός’, interpreted as ‘that if exercises on it a power it changes its shape and form without breaking’. That is, the word elastica accurately attributes the capability of the plant sap (rubber) from which car tires and other similar manufactured goods can be produced.

The Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia are the cradle of Rubber Plant. In particular, its countries of origin are Northern India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Malaysia and Indonesia. There, it is found in a variety of tropical environments, such as the vegetation zones of tropical shrubland, woodland and rainforest.

In its natural niches, the average monthly upper temperature is 30 °C (86 °F), while the average annual rainfall is between 1000 and 2000 mm.

Rubber Plant as an ornamental lives from 25 to 50 years. When native to the tropical regions of the planet can reach up to the age of 200 – not at all bad performance.

Rubber Plant is an evergreen tree of fast and large growth when it is in the natural state, having a height that often exceeds 25 m (82 ft). When grown, the annual growth rate is moderate and does not exceed a height of 15 m (50 ft).

It consists of many trunks and of a spherical or hemispherical shape canopy, which is symmetrical with an irregular outline. Its foliage is very dense, has a coarse texture and an upright or rarer spreading appearance. As an indoor plant it acquires significantly smaller dimensions and has mainly upright habit.

Rubber Plant is another typical epiphyte plant. It grows on the branches of various tropical tree species and develops aerial blastogenic roots, that penetrate the soil. The aerial part of these roots becomes trunkish ‘strangling’ the host tree. In cultivation, it often develops an extensive surface root system.

The flowers are produced in the interior of an axillary inflorescence and they have a creamy white color. The males consist of 4 sepals of ovate shape and bear a solitary stamen with ovoid anther. The females consist of 4 ovate-shaped sepals and have a short style with papillate stigma.

Ficus elastica is exclusively pollinated by the wasp Blastophaga clavigera Mayr, 1885 – syn. Pleistodontes claviger (Mayr, 1885).

The fruits of Ficus elastica are within the special fleshy stem of all the Ficus, the syconium, and is a plethora of ovate achenes. Two obovoid syconiums per node are formed – 1 to 2 cm (0.4-0.8 in) long and 0.5 to 0.8 cm (0.2-0.3 in) thick – which, when mature, are red.

Ficus elastica, as plant of the tropical regions, is cold intolerance. The minimum temperatures, which are also the lowest tolerance limit, range between 4 and 1.7 °C (40-35 °F). With high temperatures, Rubber Plant’s behavior is excellent as it does not have problems.

Rubber Plant grows in a variety of soil types – excluding clay soils – provided they drain well but at the same time retain the necessary moisture. However, well-established plants have high drought tolerance.

In terms of pH, it grows in an extremely wide range of values ranging from 5 to 8.3, but it thrives on slightly acidic soils with values ranging from 6 to 6.5.

Rubber Plant does not often have serious problems from pests or diseases, but as with most plants of the genus, some parasites have their objections to this topic.

• Dialeurodes citri (Citrus Whitefly)
• Gynaikothrips ficorum (Laurel Thrips, Cuban Laurel Thrips)
• Hercinothrips femoralis (Banded Greenhouse Thrips)
• Metcalfa pruinosa (Frosted Moth-Bug)

• Opogona sacchari (Banana Moth)
• Parthenothrips dracaenae (Palm Thrips)
• Toxoptera aurantii (Camellia Aphid)
• Singhiella simplex (Fig Whitefly)

• Ceroplastes rusci (Fig Wax Scale)
• Coccus hesperidum (Brown Soft Scale)
• Hemiberlesia palmae (Tropical Palm Scale)

• Icerya seychellarum (Seychelles Scale)

• Parasaissetia nigra (Pomegranate Scale)

• Pseudococcus calceolariae (Citrophilus Mealybug)

• Pseudococcus longispinus (Long-Tailed Mealybug)

• Allonychus reisi
• Tetranychus urticae (Red Spider Mite)

• Panonychus ulmi (European Red Spider Mite)

• Aphelenchoides fragariae (Strawberry Crimp Nematode)

• Helicotylenchus nannus (Steiner’s spiral nematode)

• Meloidogyne incognita (Southern Root-Knot Nematode)

• Agroathelia rolfsii – syn. Sclerotium rolfsii (Southern Blight, Sclerotium Rot)

• Alternaria sp.

• Botrytis cinerea (Gray Mold, Botrytis Brown Stain)

• Corynespora cassiicola (Target Leaf Spot of Tomato)

• Gloeosporium sp.

• Glomerella sp. (Anthracnose)

• Myrothecium roridum (Blight: Eggplant)

• Passalora bolleana

• Phyllosticta roberti

• Physalospora rhodina (Java Black Rot)

• Phytophthora sp. (Phytophthora Root and Crown Rots, Buckeye Rot, Phytophthora Blights)

• Phomopsis sp. (Twig Dieback)

• Pythium sp. ( Pythium Root and Stem Rot)

• Rhizoctonia solani (Belly Rot)

• Stemphylium elasticae

• Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Crown Gall)

• Pseudomonas cichorii

• Xanthomonas campestris (Bacterial Leaf Spot)

The milky sap of Rubber Plant is slightly toxic to pets. In humans, on contact with the milky latex may result from simple irritation to severe dermatitis, with painful rashes. For this reason, it is advisable to avoid any work with the plant without to use gloves.

The sap contains furocoumarins, psoralens, ficin, sesquiterpenoid glycosides and triterpenes. However, it has not yet been established which of these substances are the cause of the dermatitis.

People with a history of asthma are likely to develop allergic reactions, when the sap get on dust particles and fly throughout the house or office.

Rubber Plant is familiar with worldwide spread as it has excellent ornamental features. This results in the breeding of decades varieties and cultivars of the species, the most important of which are listed below.

It has leathery and glossy dark dark green leaves, which initially have a bronze hue. Their length is between 20 and 30 cm (8-12 in) while their width is from 12 to 15 cm (4.7-6 in).

It differs from the typical species only in terms of the appearance and size of the leaves, which are brighter in green and more broad.

It has burgundy leaves when exposed to full sun. It is more resistant to cold than the typical species with a minimum temperature at which it can be exposed without damaging the -1.1 °C (30 °F). It reaches the height of 2 to 3 m in the pot, while in the soil can exceed 12 m.

Extremely decorative variety with green and cream-white leaves. It is also more resistant to cold than the typical species with a minimum temperature -1.1 °C, at which it can be exposed without damaging.

The colors of the leaves are pink, white and green, a combination of extremely attractive appearance. Planting in a pot reaches a height of 2 m.

The pink, creamy and green shades of the leaves make this variety particularly decorative. Planting in a pot reaches a height of 1.2 to 1.8 m and a width of 0.9 to 1.2 m. It is more sensitive to cold than the typical species, with a minimum resistance limit of 4.4 °C (40 °F).

It has green leaves, with white and burgundy spots, which often dominate. Planting on the soil shows great tolerance to drought.

The young leaves are green with pink shades, which gradually give their place in cream – whitish tones. And this variety tolerates a minimum temperature of up to -1.1 °C.

It has an attractive appearance due to the creamy yellow and green hues of the leaves, the central nerve of which is slightly red.

Rubber Plant is a classic solution for interior decoration of both home and business spaces. Its truly impressive large leaves, green or variegated, as well as the minimal care it needs, give it to one of the most valuable plants in its class. In addition to decorative, it also has a functional value because it cleans the indoor air from the ever-dangerous toxic substance it hears in the name of formaldehyde.

The References of the article deservedly entitled Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) – Description and Uses are presented in a very elastic way by the English band Elastica with their song Stutter, which is included in their album bearing the imaginative, indeed, but also delaying title Elastica.