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Rubber Tree Plant - lat. Ficus elastic ‘Variegata’

If there is something like ‘‘THE houseplant’’ then for me it is Ficus elastica. It is easy to maintain, has large shiny leaves, and when it grows it resembles a small tree. In the south of Croatia, in positions sheltered from cold wind and low temperatures, it can thrive even outside.

Like most houseplants, it thrives best in indirect sun, and room temperatures from 15⁰C to 20⁰C. It should be watered when the surface layer of soil dries. When the plant gets too much water, the older leaves at the bottom of the plant turn yellow or brown, and the younger leaves get yellow or brown spots that move from the middle of the leaf to the edge (if the air is too dry then the yellow and brown spots go from the edge to the middle of the leaf).

Diseases that attack rubber trees are classic houseplants diseases such as mealybugs, red spider mites and root rot.

It is a moderately poisonous plant and its milky white latex in contact with the skin can cause an allergic reaction or skin irritation, so it should be kept out of the reach of children and pets.

This plant native to southeast Asia is among the ideal plants for beginners.

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