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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