Rubber Plant or as they’re scientifically known Ficus Elastica are one of my FAVORITE indoor plants. They can be small enough to sit on your desk or so large that they touch the ceiling. They come in a few varieties (that we’ll talk about in a bit!) but regardless of if it’s a small rubber plantlet or a huge rubber plant tree this easy to care for guy is going to give you all the warm plant lover vibes! (Just make sure you treat it like a friend)
This post is chock full of everything you need to know to not only keep your Rubber Plant happy, but absolutely thriving!
Fun Facts To Keep In Mind
- Rubber Plants are not self supporting, the longer they grow the droopier they get. You can keep your rubber plant standing upright by using bamboo or dowels. I just use the leaves to hold it in place.
- Rubber Plants are quick growers, growing as much as 24″ in a season!
- Rubber plants are poisonous. They produce a milky sap when their leaves or stems are broken. This sap contains latex and can be poisonous to animals and humans.
- Rubber Plants consume their soil, so keep a supply on hand for when things get low! We’ll dive into this more later.
Anatomy of a Rubber Plant
The Rubber is a cousin to the fickle Fiddle Leaf Fig, and commands the same presence without making you cry tears of frustration.
It’s thick waxy leaves start out as a soft coral and deepen to a dark green as they age. Leaves are oval shaped with thick stems that connect them to the stalk.
The new leaves are grown in a sheath. The sheath starts out as a tiny deep burgundy spike. As the leaf grows inside, the sheath lengthens and turns a shocking shade of pink. The leaf emerges from the sheath and the sheath falls off completely.
If the plant is in growth mode, when the leaf opens there will be a new sheath with a leaf growing inside!
Um, I did not know this the first time my Rubber got a new leaf. I was out of town and came home to find this pink thing on the floor. I thought my kids broke my new leaf off and heads were about to roll, until I looked up and saw this cute fresh shiny leaf. When the sheath falls off, just throw it away and don’t murder anyone.
At the base of the sheath, right above the older leaf is the node. See the little red circle? Nodes are where new branches can grow if a plant is broken or cut for propagation (which we’ll talk about in just a bit!)
As Rubber plants grow, the older parts of the stalk develop a bark, Most indoor Rubber plants wont grow thick enough to have their stocks turn into self-supporting trunks and will need support from bamboo stalks
Variegated Rubber Plants
Variegated Rubber Plants have the coolest leaves. They are usually white and different shades of green, but can also be pink!
If you have a variegated rubber, you definitely want to avoid direct sunlight. Variegated Rubber plants are more sensitive to direct sunlight and have a harder time producing chlorophyll (what is made when sunlight is converted to sugar) so they can grow at a slower rate than their fully green counterparts.
Best Lighting for Rubber Plants
Rubber Plants, like most Ficus plants love bright indirect light. The giant one that I have in my house is in a huge north facing window. If your Rubber Plant isnt getting enough light you’ll know because it can start dropping leaves (this is usually in connection with overwatering).
If your Rubber Plant is in a window that gets direct sunlight it should still be ok, you just might need to keep a closer eye on the soil moisture!
Wonder what kind of lighting is in your house? Take our quiz and find out!
Watering a Rubber Plant
Rubber Plants love consistently moist soil without soggy roots.
Checking the Moisture Level
You’ll know when it’s time to water when you stick a skewer (or your finger) in the soil and find that the top 2 inches has dried out. I love the skewer method because you can poke around the roots and aerate the soil so that it’s getting fresh oxygen at the roots and breaking up the compacted dirt.
How Often Should I Water?
The frequency will vary on the size of your planter, the proximity to a window, and the time of year, so by paying attention and checking the soil you should be able to stay on top of it! Water when the top 2″ of soil is dried out.
How Much Water Should I Use?
Water deeply (meaning until water drains from the holes in the planter) or until you’ve used 1/4 of the container size in water if your planter doesnt have drainage holes. This means if your plant is in a 4 gallon container, you’ll use 1 gallon of water.
Feeding your Rubber Plant
Plants need nutrition, just like humans! The absolute best fertilizer that you can use is Happy Happy Houseplant Plant Food. It is LIFE CHANGING. It comes in a cute bottle that you can keep on your counter, and you use it every single time you water. You’ll never forget to feed it because it’s so consistent! And it is an absolute miracle!! New growth galore!!
Soil for Rubber Plants
Rubber Plants hate soggy roots, so a well draining soil is very important. Whenever I heard that I was always like, yes but what does that mean?! Cactus potting mix is an extremely well draining soil and can be used as a great general soil when you are replanting.
Ficus plants like Rubber and Fiddle Leaf Figs consume their soil, so watch for the roots to start getting close to popping out of the surface. When this happens, just add more soil to the top and you’ll be good for a few more months!
When to Repot Your Rubber Plant
There is a lot of confusion about when and if you should repot a plant when you bring it home. Most growers put a lot of thought and effort into the potting mix that your plants are potted in, so I would say that unless you are dealing with root rot, or your plant’s growth is stunted from the size of the planter, its totally fine to keep it in the original pot and put it inside a larger decorative one
How fast to Rubber Plants grow?
Rubber Plants are quick growers when they are in the right conditions. If you have the patience and the time, a rubber plant that starts small and adapts to your space as it grows will do even better than a large tree transplanted into your home.
In the right conditions a Rubber plant can sprout up to 24″ in a growing season. If you plant has more than one stalk, its common to have more than one shooting up at the same time. My big guy has 3 stalks and when it’s blooming, 2 of the stalks are usually growing at the same time.
Sidenote:
If you notice that your Rubber Plant’s leaves are standing vertical, it is probably because it’s turned them to face the sun. This is totally normal and can be corrected by simply rotating the plant so that the light is hitting it differently! Notice the leaves in the photo below, see how so many of them are standing vertical? The plant needed to be rotated!
How to Propagate a Rubber Plant
Rubber plant propagation is really easy! Nodes can root in water or soil. Propagate from wood parts of the stalk?
Step 1: Cut the Stalk
Cut the stalk between the leaves, you can get multiple starts from one stalk!
Remember, the node is right by the leaf! Each cutting should have a small portion of stalk and a leaf on it. 
Step 2: Wash the white sap off of the cuttings
You can also dip the ends of the cutting in rooting hormone or honey to encourage root growth.
Step 3: Place the cutting in water (or soil)
Just make sure that the node stays covered!
Step 4: Replace the water every few days.
Fresh water has oxygen in it that the plant needs! Check for root growth! It can take a few months for the cuttings to root, dont get discouraged, as long as your leaf is still alive, things are happening!!
Step 5: Plant the Rooted Cutting in Soil
Congrats!! Once your Rubber Plant has rooted it’s time to put it in soil! Use a well draining mix that we talked about earlier in this post and watch it thrive!!
How to Clean Dust Off of Leaves
Plants with large leaves can get really dusty, this is a problem because like solar panels, leaves are the way that the plant absorbs light. If the weather is nice outside, take your Rubber Plant out and gently hose it off. Think of how rain would hit it and do it that way! This should clean off most of the dust! If the grime is a little thicker, or if you arent able to move your plant outside, use a baby wipe to wipe them down! You can buy sprays that make the leave extra shiny but I tend to steer away from them because they make the plant look fake.
Are Rubber Plants poisonous?
Rubber Plants are considered poisonous. They produce a milky sap that contains Latex that can be harmful to human and animals. But don’t freak out. They are classified as Toxicity Class 4- which is the most mild classification- meaning no one is going to die. The sap can cause minor skin irritation to larger rashes.
My Rubber Plant is Leggy (Can it Regrow Leaves?)
When Rubber Plants drop leaves they can become leggy, meaning there are no leaves on the lower part of the plant. Rubber plants do not regrow leaves from the lower parts of their stalks, only from the top. So there is no way to make a plant less leggy.
To make your Rubber Plant appear fuller you’ll need to replant smaller stalks in the planter with the larger ones. This will fill out the lower naked space make the plant look bushier.
HELP!! What is Wrong with My Rubber Plant!?
One of the best things about social media is crowd sourcing, as I was writing this post I thought- wouldnt it be cool if we could see real life scenarios where Rubber Plants are struggling, and diagnose what is happening so everyone can learn from it?! So I posted on Instagram and got the best pictures! I’ve got my bestie plant expert Shane in the house to break down what is happening and how to fix it!
Leaves are turning yellow and falling off
If the leaves are lower like they are on this plant, its because the plant is using up all of its energy for new larger growth. These guys arent getting as much light because they are hidden underneath the larger leaves, and 2. they were the first leaves sprouted and so they’ll be the first to die off as the plant grows. If the rest of the plant seems healthy and there is new growth happening (like there is on this one) don’t worry about a few leaves dying.
If the leaves are higher on the plant, or they are larger new growth, your Rubber Plant is drowning! Cut back on the watering and give it a chance to breathe. You wont be able to save the yellowed leaves, but you can keep it happy moving forward!
Lower Leaves Are Dropping
If your Rubber Plant is dropping lower leaves, especially when it’s new in your home, dont worry! This is your rubber plant getting used to it’s new environment. Make sure that it has adequate light and everything should stop. If they aren’t, look for other signs as to what could be wrong!
Solution: If this is the only thing happening, it’s totally normal!
Leaves are Droopy
The problem with this little guy is that he’s not getting enough sun! The window isnt casting much natural light and he’s in the corner away from where it would likely shine even if it was. Chances are that it is also being overwatered. When light cant reach the plant, they go into hibernation mode and absorb water less quickly.
Solution: Move this plant to a different spot where it wont be missing the sunshine!
Leaves are Turning Brown and Dropping
This is a watering issue. This reader is going too long between waterings. Usually if leaves turn brown and crispy the Rubber Plant isn’t getting enough water. So what is happening is that the leaves start to dry out and they drop when the plant decides that it needs to put all of it’s energy into saving the living leaves. It is also likely not getting enough light.
Solution: Make sure this plant is receiving regular waterings and that the soil is constantly moist.
Stalks are Very Thin and Long
Rubber plants that live indoors will almost always need support, even my tall healthy one has a bamboo support for each stalk! But the issue with this guy is 2 fold. Lack of light is causing it to shoot higher to find any light source, which is why the stalks are so thin.
The second issue is that it’s not getting enough water. See how the leaves are curling back? That is an indicator that it’s thirsty! It might have something to do with the wooden planter that it’s in. The wood might be absorbing a huge portion of the water before your Rubber plant has a chance to! Consider swapping it out for something less absorbent like ceramic, plastic, or glass.
Where to Buy Rubber Plants
You can often find Rubber plants at your local Home Depot or Lowes. They’ll most likely be smaller one though. If you are looking for something larger check out your local indoor nursery. If you’re in Southern Utah you’ve got to go to Moss and Timber! They are my favorite!!
Now you are FULLY prepared to have a thriving and happy Rubber Plant in your home! Welcome to the club my friend!!
Also, PHEW that was a lot of info! Did I miss anything? Leave your questions or comments below!!
Do you know what you can do if you get gnats? I make sure my plants are dried out in between watering, but beyond that I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Thanks for all of this information! My rubber plant is my favorite.
I’ve had this problem with my large indoor plant collection, I ended up sprinkling seven dust (Used for vegetable gardens) on the soil and it cleared up the gnats.
I don’t love using chemicals on my indoor plants, especially since I have toddlers with fingers that find their way into the dirt in my containers occasionally. Gnats can be eradicated with a little sand. Just sprinkle some on top of the soil, about an inch thick. The gnats are unable to lay their eggs and it breaks the life cycle. Just make sure they are indeed gnats and not tiny white flies as this method won’t work on those little guys.
I haven’t had to use this treatment on my rubber plant yet as it is the newest addition to the little jungle my apt is becoming. Learning how & then watching plants thrive can be addictive!! But after becoming obsessed with learning how to propagate i have a gorgeous little boutique full of living gems always at the ready to be gifted to friends as I walk out the door (hint: thrift stores are great places to find beautiful containers to take gifted plants to the next level). But I digress…CINNAMON POWDER has been a miracle in my tool kit!! Sprinkle on top soil to not only get rid of gnats, but kill fungus, mold, rot AND it’s a great rooting agent and wound healer to broken branches as well!!!
They are in the potting soil, even brand name ones! I use Bonide granules in the soil (Amazon); I went quietly crazy fighting them, until I found this product.
They are in the potting soil, even brand name ones! I use Bonide granules in the soil (Amazon); I went quietly crazy fighting them, until I found this product. I really appreciated the info here!
What do you do with the bamboo supports? Do you tie the stalks to them?
I love this post and these plants! I have two – one reggie and one variegated – and almost nothing brings me more joy than watching new leaves peel open. SO satisfying! BUT I was taught that variegated varieties need more sunlight because their leaves contain less chlorophyll… If you lessen their exposure to light, they will produce more chlorophyll, thereby making leaves that appear more green and less variegated. This would be something I’d be interested to clarify.. maybe Shane could shed some light (haha I couldn’t help myself) Thanks Mandi!!!
Ohhhh ! I’ll ask him!! I know that the leaves are more sensitive to being sunburned because of the variegation lets see what Shane says!!
I’m curious about this too. I have a variegated one that seems to be losing some of its color vibrancy
I’m happy that I found yr page. Will be shifting to my new house in 3 months time. Currently have two 10inch tall variegated rubber plants from cuttings. Preparing them for my new house in a north facing balcony. Will source around for the black n red ones in my area. Will visit yr page frequently 🙂 Thanks n have a nice day
Oh no – I can now see my rubber plant isn’t getting enough light! Thankyou for the problem pictures – that was soooo helpful! xx
What an amazingly comprehensive post!!! Loved every bit of it and learned a ton! Thank you!
This is a wonderful post. I’ve been wanting a rubber plant for awhile for the air purifying quality. And because they are so pretty. Lots of great info!
Oh my gosh, the dirt consumption tip was so helpful. What a relief to find out I wasn’t doing anything wrong, just needed to top up the dirt. (Curses, by the way, for hooking me on those tootsie roll eggs! Ha ha ha)
This is the BEST article I’ve read on the Rubber Tree. I have one that always seems to be barely clinging to life and you addressed all my issues. Now for a little plant TLC 😉
How long did your giant one take to get that big? I have a 4 yr old rubber plant that’s still only 2ft tall. He lives next to a north window and seems healthy but just never seems to get any taller.
Mandi! I am so happy I came across this post! I have one and it is thriving, but I will be moving and I have been super concerned about it once I do. Now I know what to do with it so it won’t die!
Also… where did you find those test tubes? that you used to root the new plants and how can they be attached to a wall?
This is a great post! Would these directions also apply to a fiddle leaf?
This is exciting! My office has a rubber tree plant and I’ve been wanting to take some cuttings and propagate because I want one of these plants for my home. NOW I have an idea of where to start!
This post made me so happy. I have a variated one and it gets direct light… wondering if he would grow more with a little less light, thanks. ALSO. Can we talk about the stunning glass tubes you created to propagate new plants. WOW, I pinned that for sure.
I love this post!! I have two rubber trees one pink variegated and one burgundy. My variegated was in rough shape when I took it home from the nursery (they gave me a great discount 😉 I lost a lot of leaves the first year, but it’s doing so much better now! So much so that it actually sprouted a new stalk off of one of the lower leaf areas that had dropped! I was THRILLED!! Can’t wait to see more plant posts. <3
Question: do you ever use plant lights and do you know of any good ones? After murdering a lot of plants I put them in the right place now and they thrive until winter when it’s overcast most of the time and they all start to suffer! Also, I’m wondering if some plant lights will yellow my white walls and decorations? I remember my great grandma had a lot of white porcelain figurines displayed in front of a window and they had all yellowed. It was an older home and from what I understand the glass they use now days filters out some of the rays??? 🤷♀️
So much great info. I would love some expert help with my fiddle leaf fig. I’ve had mine for 4-5 years so it is over 5-6 ft tall. Last year i took the lower leaves off to help it become bushier up top and promote branching (it is a single trunk). It hasn’t sprouted any leaves since. Do you know if that is normal? I did all this in the middle of its growing season so maybe that’s why and it will recover this year???
I’d love any advice or assurance.
I bought a variegated rubber plant a little over a year ago and no growth. The occasional leaf drops, but it’s not bare. I’ve moved it around and currently have it away from a south window. It’s also been in a west window with no luck. I’ve repotted it once just Incase it was root bound from the nursery. Maybe I’ll move it to the north window?? Any other suggestions?
Now that it’s growing season I would get some fertilizer and up the watering just a bit. If you have a north window, try that!!
xo
m
Can you encourage a rubber tree to branch out by pruning it? I pruned mine and it’s only sent out one stalk per stem…any way to make more than one branch out, or is that the way it grows?
My kids broke off a new leaf right before it unfurled. It’s been over a year but that stalk hasn’t done anything since. Other stalks have gotten new leaves so the plant as a whole seems to be doing ok. Will that stalk just not grow anymore?
Was it the top leaf?
My son hit mine with a soccer ball last fall. It knocked off 3 leaves and half of an unfurled leaf. 6 months later it’s just starting to look like it’s going to open up. I think the leaf will be misshaped and the plant will continue to produce more leaves.
I’ve been trying to figure out why my variegated rubber trees leaves are browning and I also noticed the new shoots dried up and aren’t unfurling. Could this be root rot ?
hey hi , thank you for this enormously detailed post. Pathetically , i still have one question . we live in a south facing house and we have windows on west with exhaust vents under them. We have one small east facing window – however it is pinhole glass. we are not a corner house and we have neighbours both the side. Can i groom a medium or small sized rubber plant near the east facing window. Please suggest
I just bought a rubber plant and found this article to be very very helpful! It was especially heartening to find that my stem propagation attempt seems to have been done right! I’ll keep all these points in mind. I have a feeling I won’t have to deal without another dead plant after reading these. Thanks!
Hi, loved this article! Very comprehensive information on rubber plant. Specially I loved how you showed propagation step by step with pics. though I was wondering where do you cut this branch from, the top? Where the new leaf is coming from?
Also, I came here to look for how to branch out a leggy plant, which I didn’t find it here. Many of my plants leaf got brown and so I took them off. I read somewhere to make a cut to get new branch in the space where fallen was. Though I am not sure exactly where to make that cut. Have you tried this? If so can you show a pic exactly where to make that cut in the plant for new branch to grow? Thanks
I wanted to share that I had a very leggy (read: overwatered) rubber tree, but I read online somewhere that you can regrow leaves where they once were but cutting notches on the old nodes with a razor blade. I’ve had luck growing two new stems from the bottom of my leggy plant by doing this! 🙌🏼 Eek!!
I am curious where to cut my rubber plant for propagation? Do I need to cut where the stall has already started to darken or does it matter?
I love these articles. My question is my rubber plant is very tall and I want to plant outside, is this possible? I live in central Florida and the weather is hot mist of the time but in the winter it can get pretty cold especially in the night. What do you recommend?
This article is incredibly helpful, thank you for the tips and tricks! I have only recently brought my rubber tree and after reading your description of the lack-of-water issue I now know that is what is happening to my plant! Is there any way the affected leaves will recover? Or is it best to cut them off completely or cut off the affected area instead as it has affected a few leaves? Thanks in advance!
Such a fan of your green thumb. I seen your post on rubber plants and went straight to Home Depot to purchase one. It’s been on my hone fit about 4 months. I don’t think it’s grown an inch. It looks healthy. The leaves are a pretty green and standing vertical. I water once a week and great it to 30 min of outside vitamin D. Sitting by a window and gets indirect light.
Definitely not fast frowning for me. Trying to be patient with this little guy -any advice?
What a great post!!!!!! I got my rubber plant on Earth Day in 2016, it had 3 leaves, thought I’d give it a shot, it now has 23 and it’s very special to me-I got it when I had my 16 year old cat and 16 year old dog, both would sniff it and it was part of the family, then they both passed at the end of the year, so this is part of them-
His name is “Pete” and I talk to him, clean him and he’s the favorite out of all the plants-
I noticed one of the lower leaves just like your picture above, yellowish-with a hint of red and freaked out, like literally said “Pete!!! NO!!!!!” I read your site and calmed down-
I added more soil up top b/c I did notice some roots kind of peeking up and will make sure that side gets more sun-
Thank you again for such great information, I am saving this page so I always have it on file-
-Tristan-
My rubber tree plant is generating new growth, but the new leaves are very small. Unlike the normally large, full leaves. Any tips on why? Thanks!
Really helpful post, thank you!
Thank you for such an amazing post! I’ve referenced it several times over the years of being a rubber plant owner.
When it gets to the desired height (mine is at the ceiling), so I cut the top to stop the growth? I’m worried that will cause it to branch out which I don’t want. I had a branching rubber plant a couple years ago and the branches couldn’t be supported and the tree had to be sacrificed. It was truly heartbreaking.