In its homeland, the rubber tree grows into a stately tree. It can grow up to 40 meters high. In our latitudes, however, it is usually kept as a houseplant because it is not hardy.
If it is warm enough, the rubber tree is happy when it can spend time outdoors
When the nights are finally warm in late spring, your rubber tree is welcome to move into the garden. Choose a bright location that offers shade around midday. In the blazing midday sun, the rubber tree could easily get sunburned, so this should be avoided.
Incidentally, this also applies to housing. East or west windows with lots of light are better suited for the gum tree than south windows. Even though autumn is warm, remember that the nights may be getting chilly. So put your rubber tree back indoors in good time. Otherwise, the first night frosts can easily be fatal to him.
What does my rubber tree need to feel good?
The rubber tree needs a lot of light and warmth to thrive. Temperatures between 16 °C and 20 °C are ideal. In winter it can be a bit cooler, but not colder than 10 °C. During the hibernation it needs less water than in the growth phase and no fertilizer.
The rubber tree tolerates dry heating air better than many other indoor plants, but that doesn't mean that it likes them particularly. You should absolutely avoid draughts, the rubber tree doesn’t get them at all. Since the beautiful leaves can breathe well, you should wipe them with a damp cloth from time to time, otherwise the dust will collect on them.
The essentials in brief:
- ideal temperature: approx. 16 °C to 20 °C
- needs a lot of light
- does not tolerate the blazing midday sun well
- likes to spend the warm summer outside when the nights are warm
- bring in on cool nights and strong winds
tips
The rubber tree is only suitable for planting in the garden bed in southern countries. But you can put it outside in a warm summer.