- Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta)
Ficus elastica, the rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush, is a species of plant in the fig genus, native to northeast India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China (Yunnan), Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Ficus elastica is grown around the world as an ornamental plant, outside in frost-free climates from the tropical to the Mediterranean and inside in colder climates as a houseplant.
Although it is grown in Hawaii, the species of fig wasp required to allow it to spread naturally is not present there.
In cultivation, it prefers bright sunlight but not hot temperatures.
It has a high tolerance for drought, but prefers humidity and thrives in wet, tropical conditions.
Ornamental hybrids (such as Robusta) have been derived from Ficus elastica with broader, stiffer and more upright leaves than the wild form. Many such hybrids exist, often with variegated leaves.