Cutflower Nomenclature

Scientific/Botanical Name:

Genus: Ficus

Specie: F. lastica

Variety/Cultivar:

English Name:

 

Common Name:

Rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush

Botanical Family:

Name in Latin: Moraceae

Name in English: The Mulberry Family

The Plant

Origin: Native to northeast India and southern Indonesia

Growth Habit: Large tree in the Banyan group of figs

Flower: require a fig wasp to pollinate it in a co-evolved relationship . produces fruit in a small yellow-green oval.

Blooming Period: text

Leaf: broad shiny oval leaves, develop inside a sheath at the apical meristem, unfurls and sheath drops. The new leaf carries a leaf inside waiting to develop.

Usage:

This plant can be an attractive focal point in a room, or just a bit of ambiance.

Care and Handling

Soil: well-drained soil.

Amount of water: Watering once a week is a good place to start, but adjust schedule depending on how quickly the soil dries out. Water slightly less often in the cooler months when the plant slows down its growth.

Nutrition: Fertilization is not really necessary, but can be done once a month with a water soluble fertilizer

Special handling: prefers bright sunlight but not hot temperatures.

Special feature/remarks:

Ficus elastica yields a milky white latex, which is toxic. These plants can grow ten or more feet high indoors, so pruning is advisable to keep it in an attractive form and acceptable size.

In parts of India, people guide the roots of the tree over chasms to eventually form living bridges.
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