15 Different types of rubber plants for Indoor Plants

Growing indoor plants is now considered the best home décor practice. This, plus the beauty of a rubber plant, has led to increasing demand for different types of rubber plants.

Just so you know, a rubber plant, a.k.a. Ficus Elastica, is a flowering plant in the family of Moraceae characterized by a wide large surface area and various attractive colors.

The rubber plant is a great addition to your living room, dining room, bedroom, or YouTube studio. Of course, as I discussed in this post, you need to use indoor plants sparingly. One or two plants are way better than the clutter of plants.

This post orients you to the 10 different rubber plants that you can use in various interior rooms. But first, let’s understand a few things.

Related: 21 Amazing Indoor Hanging Plants Low Light

What is the difference between a rubber plant and a rubber tree?

The rubber plant is the same as the rubber tree or Ficus elastica. They’re called rubber trees because people make rubber from the milk fluids of some species of rubber plants.

How long do rubber plants last?

Rubber plant has a really long lifespan. In a natural setting, it can lie up to 100 years and it grows to over 120 feet. While in an indoor space, it can live more than ten years.

Different types of rubber plants for Indoor Plants

Here is the list of the best rubber plants for indoor space. Since beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, read through this list and identify the one that is perfect for you.

1. Tineke Rubber Plant

Tineke_one of Different types of rubber plants for Indoor Plants
Source: Pinterest/@Bailey Bee

This is a perennial plant that grows happily in well-drained soil and indirectly lit area. It consists of widespread green leaves with white creams and reddish-pink around them.

You can grow it as a macramé indoor plant but grows best as a potted plant. It can be placed in a pot and placed the pot on a flat platform that receives partial sunlight.

In terms of watering, you need to give your potted Tineke rubber plant water once a week or less. Since you’re growing it indoors, you don’t need to overwater it otherwise its roots will get rotten.

2. Ficus Robusta

Ficus Robusta Rubber Plant
Source: Pinterest/@hortology

The other beautiful indoor plant is Ficus Robusta. It grows tall in its natural conditions, but in indoor space, it grows about two meters tall.

Unlike the Tineke rubber plant, Ficus robusta requires very bright indirect sunlight and it does not grow well in a gloomy room. Otherwise, it’s a great potted plant that can also be hung using a macramé hanger.

In as far as watering goes, you need to water this plant regularly. While observing that the soil dries before watering, you can water it once or twice a week depending on how fast the tree grows.

3. Black Prince Rubber Plant

Black Prince Rubber Plant
Source: Pinterest/@Helena Ristic

Another great option for an indoor plant is the black prince rubber plant, a.k.a. Ficus Elastica Burgundy. This is a rubber plant that has burgundy leaves and stems.

It requires bright direct light. However, unlike Ficus Robusta, it tolerates a room with low light. Greenery Unlimited suggests that you place this plant by the south-facing window.

Just like the other rubber plants above, you need to water this plant when its soil has started drying up. If you keep giving the soil too much water, the lower leaves start to turn yellow.

4. Ficus Elastica Tricolor

Ficus Elastica Tricolor rubber plant

Ficus Elastica tricolor, a.k.a. Ficus Elastica ‘Ruby’, is another cute rubber plant that can be grown indoors. It consists of a beautiful combination of bronzed green, cream, and pink.

You can keep this rubber plant indoors using a pot or basket planter. When the soil in the pot is super dry, you can go ahead and water it. Otherwise, avoid soaking the roots for they may rot.

In terms of light, it flourishes in an area with bright indirect lighting. Of course, it does ok in medium-low light space.

5. Yellow Gem

Yellow gem rubber plant

This is a rare variety of rubber plants that consist of cream-yellowish margins and green midrib. Just like most types of rubber plants, the yellow gem thrives both in outdoor spaces and indoors.

The most interesting thing about yellow gem is that it’s easy to propagate. It requires a bit of bright indirect light. You can put it beside a window that does not receive direct sunshine.

As for watering, the indoor yellow gem needs to be watered when at least an inch of the anchor soil is dry. This can be once per fortnight in winter and fall and once or twice a week in spring or summer.

6. Decora

Decora Rubber Plant
Source: Pinterest/@hortology

Decora is an evergreen plant that can be grown as a potted or macramé hanging plant. It consists of 3 to 6 inches wide leaves, 8 to 12 inches long and it grows to about 180 ft. tall.

This is pretty similar to a Robusta rubber plant. However, it’s smaller in size and has narrower leaves. Again, the Decora is not as reddish as the Robusta.

Decora is such a no-brainer plant to take care of. You just need to weekly check if the water in its soil is still moist, and water it when the top soil has dried up. As long as you placed it at a spot that gets some indirect light, you’ll be good to go.

7. Melany

Melany rubber plant
Source: Pinterest/@hortology

Melany rubber plant, a.k.a. ficus elastica, is a tiny variety of ficus elastica. It consists of a small shrub and greenish burgundy leaves.

You can grow it in the living room, bedroom, or dining room. Just make sure it’s not exposed to direct sunlight or harsh weather.

Depending on the season of the year, you can water it once or twice a week. All you need to pay close attention to is the dryness of the soil. Water it whenever the topsoil of the potted plant is dry.

8. Lemon Lime

Young Lemon lime rubber plant

Ficus elastica ‘lemon lime’, or lemon-lime, is another great rubber plant with wonderful green leaves that can be used in the indoor living space and in the patio. This plant is originally from Southeast Asia.

When it’s found in fertile soil and moisture, it can grow up to eight feet. However, when it’s grown indoors, it can be trimmed if you don’t want it that far.

Just find a place that receives some indirect light and water it regularly, and you’ll have a beautiful lemon-lime.

9. Doescheri rubber plant

Doescheri rubber plant
Source: Pinterest/@Strangewhitemoth

Doescheri is another popular type of rubber plant. It consists of leathery dark green leaves with large white-yellowish patches along the margins.

The plant is such a beautiful item for indoor space. The leaves are so pleasing and they’re generally easy to maintain and take care of.

With well-drained humus-rich soil, bright indirect light, and well-controlled watering, the plant grows up to four meters tall.

10. Ficus elastic ‘burgundy’

burgundy rubber plant
Source: Pinterest/@Darren

Burgundy is a reddish color like that of red wine. Similarly burgundy rubber plants, this plant has that red-wine color –especially at the back of the leaves.

It’s aesthetically pleasing and requires very minimal care. Basically, you place it on a spot that receives bright indirect light. If it starts to change color, it can be two things.

The leaves start to decolor if it’s not receiving enough light. On the other hand, they may start turning yellow, especially the lower leaves. This means that you’re overwatering or the soil or pot is not draining water.

11. Abidjan rubber plant

Abidjan rubber plant
Source: Pinterest/@hortology

Abidjan rubber plant consists of oval leather with dark reddish leaves. It’s of the Moraceae family and is mostly grown as a potted plant.

If you plant Abidjan in a pot with well-drained soil, you observe that the soil dries out before watering, and have placed it at a place that receives some good amount of indirect light, you’ll make it happy and it’ll happily beautify your living room.

12. Creeping Fig Rubber

Creeping Fig Rubber
Source: Pinterest/@The Bruce

Creeping fig is one of its kind. It has made it onto this list because it belongs to the Mulberry family just like Ficus elastic ‘cloe’.

This is such a great macramé hanging plant because you can support it to creep on the wall. However, you can still grow it on a floor in a pot.

As for the care, you need to keep the soil anchoring the plant wet and not water-lodged. And at the same time, you need to apply fertilizer at least once a month, especially in summer and spring.

13. Ficus elastica ‘Cloe’

This is also a rubber plant in the family of Moraceae, a.k.a. Mulberry. Ficus elastic ‘cloe’ is one of the cute plants with large oval leaves and reddish midribs.

Unlike the leaves of other types of rubber plants that have whitish, yellowish, or cream patches, this plant has rich olive-green leaves. This makes the plant really stand out.

As far as care goes, the main thing you should avoid is overwatering for the number one cause of death of the plant is excess water. Use a well-drained pot and observe the soil before watering i.e. water it when the soil needs water.

14. Variegated Rubber Tree

variegate rubber tree
Source: Pinterest/@Dallas Shaw

This is not a regular rubber plant, and you can observe the difference from the ordinary rubber plant because of the leaves. The variegate rubber tree has color shapes that fit the dessert landscape i.e. shades of yellow, red, cream, and green.

Variegata automatically loses its beautiful coloring if you place it in a gloomy. However, the plant flourishes if it’s put in a place lit by indirect lighting.

Water it depending on the season of the year. In cold months, water it once every two weeks, and in warm or hot, water it once every week.

15.  Ficus elastica ‘Sophia’

With some cool shiny large oval leaves, a Ficus elastic ‘Sophia’ is a kind of typical rubber plant. It’s unique in a way that it tolerates some low light.

However, most of the water requirements and care are pretty similar to a regular rubber plant. You know the regular: water it when the top inch of soil has dried out, place it in a porous pot to allow drainage, and transfer it to a new pot when the roots start protruding in the old container.

FAQs on Different Types of Rubber Plants?

In case you were looking for specific information, go through these frequently asked questions and you’ll find what you wanted.

Is Rubber Plant a Great Indoor Plant?

Generally, a rubber plant thrives on a spot that only receives indirect light. This, combined with the aesthetic of the plant, makes it such a great plant for indoor spaces.

You plant the plant in the living room or dining room especially close to the window that does not receive direct sunlight.

Does Rubber Plant Survive On Indirect Light?

The answer is YES! Rubber plants survive in a room that only gets indirect light. This can be next to a window or opposite the window that does not receive direct sunshine.

How to Water an Indoor Rubber Plant?

Although rubber plants are not the set-and-forget type of plants, they require very minimal care. In terms of watering, you just need to observe the soil, especially for the potted rubber plants.
Water it when the top inch of the soil is dry. This can be once a week in summer and spring, and once per fortnight in fall and winter.

What Are The Common Names For Rubber Plants?

Rubber plant has numerous other names. Scientifically, it’s called ‘ficus elestica’. It is also referred to as rubber tree, rubber fig, Indian rubber tree, Indian rubber bush, or Indian rubber shrub.

Final thoughts on Different Types of Rubber Plants

It’s no longer a secret that rubber plants are great plants for indoor space. Where else would you find such a beautiful plant with low care and maintenance?

I hope this post has oriented you on various types of rubber plants and has answered some of the questions you might have had regarding the topic. Check out some of the posts related to gardening.

21 Incredible Macramé Hanging Plants for Indoor Space

15 Comfortable Hanging Pod Chairs for Outdoor & Indoor Space

Basket planter: 19 Best Planters in Basket Form for Indoor & Outdoor Plants

That being said, I wish you the best of luck!

Xoxo!

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