Rubber plant
Ficus elastica, tree, evergreen
Water a rubber plant when the soil is dry a few centimetres down, which indoors means every 4–12 days in summer and every 7–19 in winter. It wants plenty of light but not the hot midday sun, and starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Rubber plant at a glance
Water, indoors
4–12
days in summer
7–19
days in winter
When the soil is dry a few centimetres down.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
10–15 °C
It starts to suffer between 10 and 15 °C (50–59 °F).
Cats and dogs
Toxic to dogs and cats.
Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
Growth
Fast. It’s a tree.
Feeding
Some, while it’s growing.
Follow the dose and frequency on your fertiliser’s label.
Repotting
When the roots fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed. Remove dead or damaged branches. If it gets too big, cut back the tallest branches before it starts growing again.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. The light is right, as long as the hot midday sun doesn’t hit the leaves through the glass.
- Indoors, away from the window. With less light it grows more slowly and new leaves come in smaller. If you can, move the pot closer to the window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. This suits it: outdoors, bright shade is the light it likes best.
- Outdoors, in the sun. Full sun scorches its leaves, so move the pot into the shade, at least for the hottest hours.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 4–12 days. Heat dries the soil faster, so feel it more often.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 7–19 days, and more often near a radiator, because warm air dries the soil.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 7–19 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F), so the room has to stay warmer than that.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 4–12 days, so in the sun feel it often.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F). Bring the pot indoors before the first cold nights.
How often to water a rubber plant
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 6–16 days
Usually every 10 days. Feel the soil first, and water when it is dry a few centimetres down.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 12 days | 7–19 days |
| February | every 12 days | 7–19 days |
| March | every 11 days | 6–17 days |
| April | every 9 days | 6–15 days |
| May | every 8 days | 5–13 days |
| June | every 8 days | 4–12 days |
| July | every 8 days | 4–12 days |
| August | every 8 days | 4–12 days |
| September | every 8 days | 5–13 days |
| October | every 10 days | 6–16 days |
| November | every 11 days | 7–18 days |
| December | every 12 days | 7–19 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Soil, propagation and problems
Soil
A free-draining soil that can dry out between waterings: all-purpose potting mix lightened with perlite or pumice. It isn’t fussy about pH.
Propagation
By layering: let a stem grow roots while it’s still on the plant, then cut it below the roots and pot it.
Common problems
The most frequent: Mealybugs · Scale insects · Thrips · Aphids · Spider mites
When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Rubber plant: good to know
Sudden leaf drop is usually overwatering; cold, low light or draughts can cause it too.
Watch for mealybugs, scale insects and spider mites.
Rubber plant: questions and answers
How often should you water a rubber plant in winter?
Indoors in January, usually every 12 days (between 7 and 19), compared with every 8 in July. The longest gaps run from December to February.
How can you tell when a rubber plant needs water?
When the soil is dry a few centimetres down, not just on the surface.
How much light does a rubber plant need?
Plenty of light, without the direct midday sun, which can scorch the leaves. Indoors it does well near a bright window, and further from the window it grows more slowly.
Is a rubber plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
How much cold can a rubber plant take?
It starts to suffer from the cold somewhere between 10 and 15 °C (50–59 °F). If it spends the summer outside, bring the pot in before nights drop below 15 °C, and in winter keep it away from cold glass and draughts.
When should you repot a rubber plant?
When the roots fill the pot. If needed, the best time is spring, when it starts growing again. There are usually 2 to 3 years between repottings.
How do you prune a rubber plant?
No regular pruning needed. Cut out any diseased or damaged shoots, and any that are crowded or cross each other. You can also take out shoots that grow where you don’t want them. Shorten any overly long shoots, cutting just above a leaf. Wear gloves: the sticky white sap may irritate skin or set off allergies.
How can you tell if a rubber plant is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as leaves turning yellow, soft brown patches on the leaves and leaves drooping even though the soil is wet. Too little shows as leaves drooping, leaves and buds dropping and young shoots drying out.
What soil does a rubber plant need?
A free-draining soil that can dry out between waterings: all-purpose potting mix lightened with perlite or pumice. It isn’t fussy about pH.
Which pests and diseases affect a rubber plant?
The most frequent are mealybugs, scale insects, thrips, aphids and spider mites. When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Why is my rubber plant dropping leaves?
If a lot fall at once, it’s usually too much water. Feel the soil a few centimetres below the surface, and if it’s still damp, wait. Cold, draughts and low light are the other causes. Moving it can make it shed a few too, and losing the odd lower leaf now and then is normal.
Why are my rubber plant’s leaves turning yellow?
One lower leaf turning yellow now and then is normal. If lots of them do, the soil is usually staying wet for too long. Let it dry a few centimetres down before you water, and empty the saucer.
Can you propagate a rubber plant in water?
Yes. In spring or summer, cut a tip with a couple of leaves, take off the lower ones and stand it in a glass of water with the leaves above the water, somewhere bright but out of direct sun. Roots appear after a few weeks. A single leaf without a piece of stem can grow roots, but it won’t become a plant.
How do you clean rubber plant leaves?
On leaves this big, dust shows quickly. Wipe them with a soft damp cloth or a sponge whenever you see it.
Read next
Every plant has its own rhythm. LINFA keeps track for you.
It looks at the light where your plant stands, its pot and the season, and tells you when to check it.
Coming soon to Android
