Rubber trees are brilliant houseplants given their stylish leaves, tall height, hardiness, and low maintenance requirements.
There are many species of rubber plants, and in this in-depth guide, we will list and discuss the most popular ones to help you decide which one of them to grow at home.
How many types of rubber trees are there?
There are about 30 kinds of rubber trees. These decorative plants vary greatly in leaf pattern and color, size, and caring needs.
What are the most popular rubber trees to grow?
These are the popular types of rubber trees you can buy and grow at your house:
- ‘Black Prince’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Sophia’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Tineke’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Decora’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Tricolor’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Robusta’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Melany’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Doescherii’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Yellow Gem’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Chloe’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Lemon Lime’ Rubber Tree
- ‘Banyan Fig’ Rubber Tree
1) ‘Black Prince’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Black Prince’
Mature height: Up to 30 ft.
Leaf color: Deep green-black
Soil needs: Loamy and well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet friendly: Yes
Aptly named, the ‘Black Prince’ Rubber Tree sports stylish black-green oval leaves and a tapering pink-red sheath when it becomes mature.
The leaves are large, glossy, and leather-like. At a young age, they produce purple-red leaves, but these eventually darken to a rich shadow-black color.
Regarding its care needs, the plant prefers bright indirect sun and fertile and loamy soil to grow fast and productively.
2) ‘Sophia’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Sophia’
Mature height: Up to 30 ft.
Leaf color: Light to dark green
Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet-friendly: No
‘Sophia’ Rubber Plant is distinguished from other rubber plants by its lusher and rounder leaf form.
This rubber tree variety’s leaves are smooth and lustrous, beginning as light green or emerald and shifting to forest green when it is older.
In the wild, it reaches a height of up to 30 ft. like the ‘Black Prince’ Rubber Tree. However, ‘Sophia’ Rubber Plants will grow much smaller inside the house.
Also, keep them away from drafty windows since they can be harmed. But mist them often in warmer and cooler months.
3) ‘Tineke’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Tineke’
Mature height: 50 to 100 ft.
Leaf color: Light and dark green with cream splashes
Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet-friendly: No
‘Tineke’ Rubber plant is a special cultivar known for its gorgeous mix of leaf colors. It usually displays light and dark green leaves with splashes of cream and bright pink young leaves with a crimson patch in the center.
To encourage healthy and colorful leaves for this plant, it must be grown in a spot with plenty of indirect sunlight. But avoid setting it near south or west-facing windows, as the intense sun can burn its leaves.
This variety can be a wonderful plant for people who want to creatively decorate their house or office. Take note, however, that it is toxic, so it must be kept away from children and pets.
4) ‘Decora’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Decora’
Mature height: Up to 30 ft.
Leaf color: Emerald green
Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright direct sun
Pet-friendly: No
The first ‘Decora’ Rubber Plant was cultivated many decades ago in the 1950s. As opposed to other rubber plants, it has shinier and larger leaves measuring almost 1 ft. long.
Its name is inspired by its decorative emerald leaf color and orange and red sheaths when it matures. Meanwhile, small and growing Decora plants take a light-green tone with cream or pink borders.
Some gardeners like to plant them in rustic basket planters or color-contrasting white pots. Also, this elegant rubber tree needs direct sun most of the time and organic and damp soil to thrive.
5) ‘Tricolor’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Tricolor’
Mature height: Up to 40 ft.
Leaf color: Green with yellow edges
Soil needs: Fertile, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet-friendly: No
The Ficus elastica ‘Tricolor’ has thick waxy leaves with green and yellow tones. It can enliven a living or working space with these pleasant colors.
The ‘Tricolor’ RubberTree has an upright growing formation with attractive pink leaves emerging from all around the stem before changing to green.
It loves to receive bright indirect or dappled sun outdoors or indoors. Moreover, occasional pruning is needed to keep it neat and flourishing.
Unfortunately, the ‘Tricolor’ Rubber Tree is toxic to cats, dogs, and children.
6) ‘Robusta’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Robusta’
Mature height: 50 to 100 ft.
Leaf color: Emerald and black
Soil needs: Fertile, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright direct sun
Pet-friendly: Yet unproven
Ficus elastica ‘Robusta’ is a vigorous and resilient grower and is one of the most well-known species of rubber trees.
It develops large green leaves with a soft leather texture. They are colored emerald and black, exuding class.
Ample space is needed for this variety since it grows fairly quickly to a height of 4 to 6 ft. indoors
This lush plant enjoys basking in abundant, direct light. As such, you must place them 1 foot or less from the window.
It’s tolerant of low humidity, as its roots draw in extra moisture when watered. There’s no need at all to mist this plant during warm or dry spells.
7) ‘Melany’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Melany’
Mature height: Up to 100 ft.
Leaf color: Black and yellow-green
Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet-friendly: No
The ‘Melany’ Rubber Plant is a beloved indoor plant with broad, deep-green, and glossy leaves. A tinge of burgundy can also be seen from a close view of this plant.
It can grow up to 6 ft. tall and 2 ft. wide indoors in the adult stage, whereas, outdoors, it can become a massive tree extending to 100 ft. in height!
For optimal growth, it must get indirect sunlight. Keep it away from harsh sunlight, as its leaves can be burnt and damaged.
Having a toxic white latex sap within, Melany, like most rubber plants, aren’t safe for children and pets around them.
8) ‘Doescherii’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Doescherii’
Mature height: Up to 100 ft.
Leaf color: Green with cream or bright yellow edges
Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet-friendly: No
One of the nicest rubber tree varieties is the Ficus elastica ‘Doescherii.’ The specimen is identified by unique yellow and light-colored markings on its leaves and pink midribs.
Compared to other rubber plant types, Doescherii is small and dense, so it can take up less space.
Doescherii plants are also valued by plant owners for their ability to grow even in low-light areas and thrive despite some neglect.
Even so, they grow best in potting soil with great drainage and someplace with bright filtered sunlight.
To avoid pest and overwatering issues, water the plant only when the top inch of the soil is dry.
9) ‘Yellow Gem’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus altissima ‘Yellow Gem’
Mature height: 100 to 130 ft.
Leaf color: Bright green with yellow edges
Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet-friendly: No
Although different from Ficus elastica, Ficus altissima ‘Yellow Gem’ is another beautiful evergreen rubber tree.
‘Yellow Gem’ Rubber Plant showcases bright green leaves with lovely canary yellow sides. It grows lushly and tightly on its pot container, thus, is best for large corners and spaces.
It requires indirect sunlight daily to survive and thrive. While it can tolerate low-light conditions, the plant won’t be as bountiful.
What’s more, the ‘Yellow Gem’ Rubber Tree is not suited for those with pets and young children because it’s harmful if touched.
10) ‘Chloe’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Chloe’
Mature height: Up to 200 ft.
Leaf color: Dark green and black leaves
Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet-friendly: No
Ficus elastica ‘Chloe’ is a classic rubber tree cultivar with large, olive-green, and glossy leaves complemented by pink sheaths.
Older foliage in dark rooms will appear shadow-black, which is what most people like about it.
It’s also a low-light favorite among rubber plant owners, but even with its low-light requirement, it still needs shaded sun to be healthy. Watering should be done once a week when its top layer of soil has dried out.
Plus, to prevent bushy growth, pruning this plant is necessary to make it grow neatly.
11) ‘Lemon Lime’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus elastica ‘Lemon Lime’
Mature height: Up to 100 ft.
Leaf color: Green with neon yellow and green splashes
Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil
Light needs: Bright indirect sun
Pet-friendly: No
Sought after by many growers, the ‘Lemon Lime’ Rubber Tree is a variegated tropical plant with oval leaves splashed with neon green and yellow.
Having this in your garden or home can provide a refreshing touch to the space.
It’s easy to care for this rubber tree variety which requires partial sun for several hours a day and fertilizer every few weeks.
Any pot can work for this rubber tree species as long as it has extra room in it and drainage holes to keep the soil from being too wet.
The tropical plant is drought-tolerant, and it won’t quickly weaken and wilt. Despite this, it should be watered regularly.
12) ‘Banyan Fig’ Rubber Tree
Scientific name: Ficus benghalensis ‘Banyan Fig’
Mature height: Up to 650 ft.
Leaf color: Green
Soil needs: Loamy, well-drained soil
Light needs: Full direct sun
Pet-friendly: No
Banyan Fig pr Indian Banyan is an enormous tree classified under the Ficus genus. It originated in tropical forests in Asia where there are full sun and a high level of moisture in the air.
Due to its size and requirements, it’s not possible to grow the Banyan Fig indoors. It has aerial roots for support and water and nutrient absorption.
This widely spreading tree bears green oval and heart-shaped leaves and red-colored semi-edible fruit from its lengthy branches.
It has a special soil preference: loam or sand-based soil to enhance its drainage and moisture retention.
It’s also toxic to dogs, so the owners should not take their dog or other pet anywhere near the tree.
Some FAQs about Rubber Trees
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