Rubber plant care guide

The rubber plant has thick, glossy leaves and grows into a tree indoors. It is the easy-going cousin of the fiddle leaf fig. It forgives a missed watering and does not sulk as much after a move.

Light

Give it bright, indirect light. A spot near an east window or a few feet back from a south or west window works well. It handles medium light, but it grows slow and leggy there.

Variegated types, like ‘Tineke’ and ‘Ruby’, need bright light to keep their color.

Turn the pot every few weeks so it grows straight.

Water

Water when the top 5 cm (2 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. In winter, that might be every two to three weeks.

Yellow leaves that drop from the bottom mean too much water. Droopy leaves with dry soil mean too little. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Soil and potting

Use a well-draining houseplant mix with extra perlite or bark.

Repot every one to two years in spring, one pot size up. A rubber plant kept in a snug pot grows slower, which helps if you want to keep it small. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Humidity and temperature

Average room air is fine. Keep it between 16 and 27°C (60 and 80°F). Keep it away from cold drafts and heat vents, which make leaves drop.

Feeding

Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Skip fall and winter.

Pruning

Rubber plants grow up on a single stem unless you cut them. To make it bushy, cut the top off just above a leaf in spring or summer. One to three new branches grow from below the cut.

Wear gloves. The white sap is sticky and irritates skin. Hold a paper towel to the cut until it stops dripping.

Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks. Clean leaves shine and take in more light. Skip leaf-shine sprays.

New leaves

Each new leaf grows inside a red or pink sheath. The sheath splits as the leaf opens, then dries and falls off. That is normal.

Propagation

Cut a stem piece 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) long with a few leaves. Let the sap stop running. Set it in water in bright light. Roots grow in three to six weeks.

Air layering works well on tall, leggy plants. It roots the top of the stem while it is still attached, and the bottom grows new branches once you cut the top free.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Lower leaves turn yellow and drop	Too much water
Leaves droop and curl	Too dry
Leaves drop after a move	Shock. It recovers in a few weeks.
Tall, bare stem with few leaves	Not enough light, or never pruned
Variegated leaves turn green	Not enough light
Brown, crispy patches	Sunburn or a heat vent

Pests

Scale, mealybugs, and spider mites can show up. Look on the undersides of leaves and along the stems. Fungus gnats mean the soil stays wet too long. Read how to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants.

Pet safety

Rubber plants are toxic to cats and dogs. The milky sap irritates the mouth and stomach and can cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. It can also irritate skin.

Do not mix it up with the baby rubber plant. That is a peperomia, and it is safe for pets.

Varieties

• ‘Robusta’ and ‘Decora’ have big, plain green leaves.
• ‘Burgundy’, also sold as ‘Black Prince’, has leaves so dark they look almost black.
• ‘Tineke’ has green, cream, and pale green leaves.
• ‘Ruby’ has cream and pink leaves with red stems.
• ‘Shivereana’ has pale leaves speckled with green.

In my house

I have grown a plain rubber plant, with no variegation. I would love to try one of the variegated kinds next. You can cut it back, and it is fine.