Rubber plant is the common name for a house plant that is really a kind of fig. The rubber plant can grow well in the heat and low humidity of houses. It grows tall rapidly and lives a long time. The leaves of the rubber plant are large and broad and may grow from 2 to 12 inches (5 to 30 centimeters) long. The upper surface of the leaf is a shiny, dark green, and the underside is dull and lighter green.
The rubber plant requires little care. It will grow well if the soil in the pot is rich in minerals and the plant is given enough sunlight, water, and room. The plant should be placed outdoors during the summer so that it will get enough sunlight to last the winter. A rubber plant may grow so tall that it may be necessary to cut it back to make it branch. Sometimes a new plant can be grown from the tip of the stem that is cut off.
Rubber plants are often attacked by scale insects. These pests can be destroyed by spraying the plants with nicotine. Commercial rubber does not come from these rubber plants, but from a tropical tree that belongs to the castor-bean family.
