Rubber Plant Care: Light, Water, Pets and Yellow Leaves
Ficus elastica
Rubber plants are sturdier than their fiddle-leaf cousins. Give them bright light and steady watering and they build height quickly.
How to care for a rubber plant
Rubber plants like bright, indirect light and cope with medium light better than a fiddle-leaf fig. Darker varieties such as burgundy do well with a little more light to keep their color. Direct hot sun through glass can scorch the leaves.
Wipe the broad leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust. If the plant gets too tall, it can be pruned back, but the milky sap can irritate skin, so use gloves.
Where a rubber plant works
Bright, indirect light
The best growth. Darker varieties keep their color with a little more light.
Medium light
A rubber plant copes better than a fiddle-leaf fig, with slower growth.
Hot sun through glass
Direct sun can scorch the leaves. Pull the plant back from the window.
How often to water a rubber plant
Water when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil are dry. Most homes and offices land on every 1 to 2 weeks, with less in winter. Let excess water drain away and empty the saucer.
Why rubber plant leaves turn yellow
Yellow lower leaves that then drop are the usual sign of overwatering or a pot that does not drain. If the soil stays wet for days, cut back on watering and check the roots.
Leaf drop after a move or a change in light is common. Lower leaves also age and drop naturally, but if more than a few go at once, look at light, water and drafts.
Pots, drainage and water
Rubber plants grow tall in planters, so the pot needs to drain and carry weight. These are the pot questions that come up most.
- Rocks on a pot collar hide the rim of the liner and the soil line.
- The plant stays in its liner, a nursery pot with drainage holes, so water can leave the soil.
- A filler under the liner sets the height so the rim sits just below the top of the decorative pot.
- The decorative pot has no hole. Water that drains from the liner collects here, and has to be emptied.
My pot has no drainage hole. How do I water?
Use a liner with holes inside the decorative pot. Water at a sink, let it drain, and put it back.
Why does it drop lower leaves?
Often it is wet soil from a pot that does not drain. Check the liner and empty the outer pot.
Will a tall rubber plant tip over?
Tall plants get heavy at the top. A heavy base, a snug liner and a filler keep it steady.
How big should the pot be?
Move up one size when roots fill the liner. A very large pot keeps soil wet for too long.
Is a rubber plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Rubber plants are toxic to cats and dogs. The latex sap irritates the mouth and skin and can cause drooling and vomiting. Keep it out of reach of pets that chew plants. Pet-safety information here follows the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
Rubber plant in offices
Rubber plants fill tall planters well and keep a clean, structured look, which suits reception areas and open-plan floors.
In the plant list for a recent office install of about 120 planters, about 15 rubber plants were listed, mostly 14 inch burgundy plus a few smaller bush forms.
Plants in your office?
Plants for Friends designs, installs and maintains interior plants for offices and commercial spaces across San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles.
See our office plant service →More plant care guides
About Plants for Friends
Plants for Friends designs, installs and maintains interior plants for commercial spaces and homes across San Diego County, Orange County and Los Angeles County. Every project starts with a walkthrough of the actual space, light, scale, traffic and access, before anything is chosen.
Since 2021, our team has completed more than 200 projects for clients including Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, JLL, Bristol Myers Squibb and ClickUp.
See our completed projects in the Plantfolio →