One of the most-asked plant questions we get at The Jungalow is "what are the easiest plants to grow"? We've totally been there- getting the hang of keeping plants alive takes time and practice (and, sadly, a few dead plants along the way). Today's Plant-o-Pedia star, the rubber tree, is a great plant to help build your confidence. It's hearty, beautiful, and grows large pretty quickly-which is an added confidence boost, right? We also love that it adds the impact of a fiddle leaf fig, but isn't quite so common, so it feels a little more special. The variety of color variegation the rubber tree comes in is also quite amazing!
GET THE GREEN: Variegated rubber tree (Ficus elastica ‘Variegata’)
WATER: Keep moist, but not soggy, in spring and summer; let soil surface dry between waterings in fall and winter.
SUNLIGHT: Bright to medium indirect light.
PLACEMENT: This gets big, so it’s usually best in a big pot on the floor. When young (and small) it works on a speaker or side table (like Emily has hers, above), filling a corner nicely.
EXTRA CREDIT: Regularly wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust and keep them glossy.
WORD OF CAUTION: Ingestion by pets may cause moderate gastro-intestinal distress.
Got a plant you want to learn more about? Leave a comment and you may find it in a future Plant-o-Pedia!
Photography of Emily's plant by Dabito from The New Bohemians. All other photos by Justina Blakeney.
Plant-o-Pedia excerpt from The New Bohemians with thanks to Stephanie Bartron.