Rubber plant
Ficus elastica
Also called Rubber fig and Rubber tree
Houseplant · Trees & big statementsWipe the leaves now and then. Dust on those big glossy blades genuinely costs it light.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 10 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 2.5 m tall · 1.2 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Southeast Asia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses.
PeopleIrritates skin
HandlingTake care handling it
Cut stems run with a white latex that marks fabric and irritates skin.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- The lowest leaves yellow evenly — no spots, no edges — and drop while the compost is still dark and heavy a week after watering.Leaf drop from wet roots · disorder
- A sticky gloss on the leaf below, and brown discs sitting on the midrib underside that scrape off with a thumbnail.Scale insect · pest