Rubber Plants

How to choose a rubber plant

Choose by leaf colour and by how much light the room gets. Robusta (Ficus elastica 'Robusta') is the plain green form with the largest leaves and the most tolerance of a dim corner; it grows to about 3m indoors. Burgundy has leaves so dark they read as black, with a red sheath on each new leaf, and reaches about 2.5m. Ruby carries pink and cream variegation over a dark leaf, Tineke is cream and grey-green, and Marble is the most strongly variegated of the three. The variegated forms need brighter light to hold their colour and grow a little more slowly. Melany is the compact one, around 1.8m with smaller, closely spaced leaves, for a smaller room.

Where rubber plants work

Indoors they want bright indirect light, with a few hours of gentle morning sun welcome, and they sit well a metre or two back from a north or east window. Keep them out of hot afternoon sun through glass and away from heater and air-conditioner draughts, which drop leaves. Outdoors they suit a covered patio or a large pot in frost-free climates. Think hard before planting one in the ground: in the subtropics and tropics a rubber plant becomes a large tree with vigorous roots, and it is not a plant for a small garden or anywhere near pipes and paving. In a pot it stays the size you see here. They sit comfortably among our other indoor plants and the rest of the ficus range.

Potting and repotting

Use a free-draining indoor mix in a pot with holes, one size up from the grower pot. Repot every two to three years in spring, or when roots circle the base. A heavy pot keeps a tall plant stable. A rubber plant in a 300mm pot will reach about 2m; keep it in a 200mm pot and it stays smaller for longer.

Care basics

Water when the top 3cm to 5cm of mix are dry, usually weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter, and never let the pot stand in water. Overwatering is the common killer: yellowing lower leaves that drop are the sign. Feed monthly in spring and summer with a liquid fertiliser. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth so they shine and photosynthesise properly. Prune the tip in spring if you want branching rather than a single stem, and wear gloves, because the white sap irritates skin and is toxic if swallowed by pets or children. The ficus care guide covers pruning, pests and leaf drop in detail.

Common questions

Why is my rubber plant dropping leaves?

Most often a change: a move, a cold draught, or too much water. Settle it in one bright spot, let the mix dry between waterings, and new leaves follow within weeks.

How fast does a rubber plant grow?

Indoors, 30cm to 60cm a year in good light, so a 1m plant reaches 2m in two to three years. Growth slows in winter and in low light.

Can I grow a rubber plant outside?

In a pot on a sheltered patio, yes, anywhere frost does not reach. In the ground in warm climates it grows into a large tree with invasive roots, so keep it in a container.

Which rubber plant is best for low light?

Robusta, the plain green form. The variegated varieties lose their markings and grow thin in dim rooms.