Rubber plant

Heavenly air purifier

The rubber plant, also known as ficus elastica, is one of those characters that really does fit in anywhere. Sleek modern home? Perfect! Love vintage? That’ll work too. Good looks and even better characteristics, because out of all the ficuses the rubber plant is the best at removing toxic gases in the home, particularly formaldehyde: a chemical that occurs in virtually every indoor space. As you can see, the rubber plant fits into every home.  

Colours and shapes

We mainly know the rubber plant as the version with large and sturdy dark green leaves. But there are also varieties with variegated leaves. The rubber plant is a climber, so it doesn’t need much space. It does require a bit of overhead clearance though. 

SYMBOLISM

Rubber plants represent abundance, happiness and wealth. According to the teachings of feng shui the rubber plant’s round leaves make it an ideal candidate to be placed in a corner in order to soften the sharp angles. The wealth corner of the home is particularly suitable. You’ll have to find out what corner that is for yourself. 

ORIGIN

The rubber plant is a member of the Moraceae family and originates from Asia, particularly India, Malaysia and Java. In the wild the plant can grow into a sizeable tree with many aerial roots. The name ‘rubber plant’ is not entirely accurate: this plant is not used for commercial rubber production. But the rubber plant does have latex-like white sap in the stem and leaves.