Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Nepal
New Zealand
Types
Rubber Plant, Rubber Fig
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
608
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Along Railroads, Coastal Regions, Forests, Roadsides, Scrubs, Suburban areas
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1110-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Yellow green
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic to oblong
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Vegetative Reproduction
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune for shortening long shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
don't fertilize in winter
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Yellow Leaves
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
-
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Latex
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Making rubber, Making tyres
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
FICUS elastica
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Rubber Plant
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
रबड़ का पौधा
pohutukawa
In German
Ficus elastica
pohutukawa
In French
Ficus elastica
pohutukawa
In Spanish
ficus
pohutukawa
In Greek
ελαστικός φίκος
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
fábrica de borracha
pohutukawa
In Polish
gumy roślin
pohutukawa
In Latin
Flexilis herba
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Rosales
Myrtales
Family
Moraceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Ficus
Metrosideros
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ficeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
80012
1
27800
👆🏻