How Does a Rubber Tree Plant “Branch Out?” If you’re not getting what I’m talking about here, please let me explain it through the pictures below. Houseplants forum: Help! If the roots are not actively growing, new root tips will not be formed and consequently, Ca uptake will be reduced. Once the plants are growing vibrantly and have developed several new sets of leaves, they can be potted up in individual pots. ... Calcium is taken up by the area of the root immediately behind the root-tip. I water it when the leave seem to drop and they point up. Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is a distinctive plant easily recognized by its upright growth habit and thick, glossy, deep green leaves. A member of the Ficus family, rubber tree plants can grow up to 50 feet tall but are typically grown to 6-to-9 feet indoors. The Rubber Plant emits a white sap when pruned or broken. The Ficus genus of plants includes more than 800 species of trees, shrubs and vines, including weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), which grows outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant … THE RIGHT LIGHT. The grower’s label plants with leaves all the way up and down as “full to base”. The rubber tree plant has broad leaves that, similar … The rubber tree plant is a fantastic indoor houseplant and is pretty easy to take care of. My new rubber plant's leaves are closing up (pointing up). Before you start pruning, consider if you’d like your rubber plant to have a slim, vertical look or a lower, bushier appearance. You can do more harm than good. Many Ficus plants including F. elastica have a milky irritating sap in the stems and leaves that can cause gastrointestinal issues if eaten and skin irritation if the sap is allowed to rest on the skin for a time or gets into small cuts. 1. Yellowing leaves on a rubber plant could also be a sign that it is pot bound so you may want to consider repotting your rubber plant. Rubber Tree Plant Potting – When Does Rubber Plant Need A New Pot. In the hopes of making it a little easier when it comes to growing plants, Gardening Know How tries to provide the best information possible so your garden will flourish – and that includes answering commonly asked questions that pop up along the way. Because the leaves of the rubber tree plant are succulent, they gather and hold water to sustain the plant through drought conditions. Rubber plant thrives outdoors in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, but it is grown as an indoor plant in most climates. Views: 44375, Replies: 10 » Jump to the end. The popularity of the rubber plant as an ornamental plant is due to its large, glossy, and leathery foliage.