Rubber Fig

The Rubber fig (Ficus elastica) is part of the Ficus genus and is a classic houseplant. It was present in many living rooms and offices up to the 1980s, when people had grown tired of it. It’s now experiencing a comeback. In its native lands of eastern India and Indonesia, this evergreen fig, which is part of the mulberry family, grows to between 22 and 27 yards high with a trunk up to 2.2 yards thick.

When grown as a houseplant, the rubber fig can grow to around 3.3 to 6.6 feet tall and 2.6 to 3.3 feet wide. Up to 12 inches long, its leathery leaves are alternately arranged, full margin, broad oval leaves with distinctive points. The leaf stalks measure 0.79 to 1.97 inches long. The top side of the leaf is a glossy dark green with or without yellow variegation depending on the variety. The underside is light green. Ficus elastica houseplants rarely flower. They have to be pollinated by the Fig wasp in order to grow seeds. The fruit of the Rubber fig is a small yellow-green, oval, unpalatable fig. If the location is sufficiently bright, the Rubber fig will form a broad, brachiate crown. However, if there is not sufficient light, the main stem will produce few to no side shoots.

The Rubber fig prefers a bright to partially shaded and warm location that remains around room temperature. The temperature should not fall below 64 degrees Fahrenheit and draughts should be avoided. Regular houseplant or leafy plant soil or sandy soil with a high proportion of coconut fiber should be used as the substrate. In summer, the Ficus elastica can also be grown outdoors on a balcony or terrace. It must be in partial shade so that the leaves don’t burn.

You should water your Rubber fig sparingly and only if the top of the soil has dried out from the previous watering. To ensure the root ball isn’t too moist and to prevent waterlogging, it may make sense to completely submerge the soil ball in water until it is fully saturated. It can then be returned to its original position, where it will be able to draw from the moist soil for a long time. In spring and summer, the rubber fig can be fed every two weeks with regular houseplant fertilizer. If the plant becomes root-bound, it may be repotted.

As the leaves of the Rubber fig are very large, they gradually develop a layer of dust, which stands out from the smooth dark green background and becomes unsightly over time. To clean it, you can put the whole Ficus elastica into the shower and simply rinse it off. Beforehand, wrap the whole inner pot and root ball in a plastic bag to prevent it from becoming saturated with water. To prevent drying marks, you should wipe the leaves with a damp cloth after rinsing. You can also wipe the leaves with a cloth soaked in beer to restore their shine. Young Rubber figs grow voraciously in good light, so should be repotted every two years. Older plants will only need to be replanted every four to five years.

If you would like to propagate a Rubber fig, you can choose from several possible methods. It can be propagated through cuttings taken from side shoots. Remove all leaves apart from the top one from the cuttings and let the cutting points dry slightly. Shorten the cutting to around 2.36 to 3.15 inches from the top leaf and then place it in a narrow glass filled to around one third with water. The water should be changed every two days. Alternatively, you can also place the directly into a pot with slightly moist potting soil. The pot can then be covered with plastic or placed in a plastic bag. This can be closed with clothes pegs and ventilated every now and then. After around four to eight weeks, the cuttings will hopefully have formed roots in either case.

The Rubber fig is generally considered resilient to disease and pests. If the plant does fall foul to pests, these are usually Mealybugs. You can spot an infestation by the leaves drying out and turning yellow. To tackle this, the Rubber fig should be isolated from all other houseplants immediately. Neem oil can help to get rid of scale insects. A mixture of paraffin oil, water and dish soap sprayed onto the leaves, as well as rinsing the leaves, has proven effective. Ficus elastica is often also infested by dark-winged fungus gnats and thread-footed mites.