The ficus elastica, which is the botanical name of the rubber tree, is related to the edible figs because it belongs to the same genus. Very small fig-like fruits form from inconspicuous flowers, but they are almost inedible.
The rubber tree flowers as a houseplant extremely rarely and very inconspicuously
What do the flowers of the rubber tree look like?
The flowers of the rubber tree are rather inconspicuous. In an inflorescence about one centimeter tall, there are male and female flowers and also sterile gall flowers. In order for fertile seeds to develop from these flowers, pollination by the fig wasp must take place.
Why is the rubber tree still so popular?
The attractiveness of the rubber tree as a houseplant lies in its relatively easy care and also in its shiny, mostly dark green leaves. If he gets too little light, then he quickly lets them hang.
You can put your rubber tree on the balcony in summer, but it is not hardy. If the autumn nights are cool, then the plant should quickly move back into the apartment, because the rubber tree does not tolerate temperatures below about 16 °C.
In winter, however, the location can be a little cooler than in the summer months. This hibernation is good for your rubber tree and it will get new leaves and shoots in spring.
The essentials in brief:
- no decorative showy flowers
- barely visible and inconspicuous
- hidden in an inflorescence
- male and female flowers, including sterile ones
- fertile seed formation only when pollinated by the fig wasp
tips
If you would like to call a particularly decorative rubber tree your own, then buy a variegated variety.