Well, as you may know, I like to open my Plant Care Tip posts with a joke, but I thought I would be stretching too far to come up with one for rubber… ba dum tss. OK, that might have been a bit of a reach for a joke, but you know what isn’t a stretch? Saying how awesome the Pink Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica ruby) is! I’ve been wanting one of the beauties for a while! I finally decided it was okay to spend the money on her. At the local nurseries in North Texas, the Pink Rubber Plant costs around $25.00, which isn’t too much. However, anytime I think about buying something over $15, I just feel Dave Ramsey’s judgment… Anyway, now that I have one, I obviously have to share my pink rubber plant care tips!
History of the Pink Rubber Plant
To begin, the Pink Rubber Plant is a variegated version of the rubber plant. The variation on the pink rubber tree finds its origin in a mutation that causes the plant to produce less chlorophyll. Some scientists actually believe this mutation helps deter pests by making them believe the plant is dying. I wouldn’t be surprised if this deters some humans! The Pink Rubber Plan is native to Southeast Asia. This is always an important thing to note when looking at where to place the plant to mimic its native climate.
Despite its name, the Rubber Plant is not the source of rubber. While the plant has a natural latex and was once the primary source of rubber, the production of rubber has been largely replaced by the plant Hevea brasiliensis.
Sunlight
The Pink Rubber Plant does best in bright, indirect sunlight (for more information lighting, check out this post!). However, these plants are pretty hardy and can adapt to medium light conditions. I would recommend avoiding low light & bright direct light for the rubber plant. If your plant is heavily variegated, you will want to keep that in mind when choosing a spot in your home to place your plant. The more variegation, the more I would recommend keeping the plant on the sunnier side of the spectrum. If it is in a shadier spot, the plant may begin to lose its pink variegation.
The leaves can occasionally get dusty. Since this plant is variegated, you will want to carefully wipe the dust off the leaf. I recommend doing this with a microfiber toilette – like what you would clean glasses with.
Water
Don’t let this bad boy’s tropical nature confuse you, the Pink Rubber Plant likes to dry out between watering. The best rule of thumb is to allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry fully before watering again. As always, it’s good to note that in the winter or if you have your plant in a humid or medium light area, you may have longer periods between watering. I water my plant roughly once every 1.5 weeks.
Soil & Fertilizer
The Pink Rubber Plant will do best in well aerated and good draining soil! Always use a pot with a drainage hole! My biggest complaint with many of the plants at big box stores that are sold with pots is that they do not have drainage holes. This is setting up the plant parent for failure. Be aware of this if your Pink Rubber Tree came with a pot.
As for fertilizer, because the summer is the main growing season of the Pink Rubber Plant, I recommend feeding the once a month in the late spring and through summer. Given the right conditions, this beauty can grow up to 8′ tall! Now my pink rubber plant will have a stunted growth… Thanks North facing windows. Anyway, you will likely want to repot your plant every 2 years. When you start seeing roots outside the soil. That is always a good indication that the plant will need to be repotted.
Propagation
Alright, so I have not tried propagating my plant yet, but once it gets bigger, I am so excited to! From what I read, water propagation is the best way to get new root growth from a cutting. This is an older post, but if you’re interested in learning how to propagate a plant by water, check it out! The things worth noting for propagating a rubber plant are:
- You’ll want to make sure no leaf is touching the water, only the stem
- Once the plant has rooted and you’ve transferred it to soil, keep it moist for the first several weeks.
Common Problems In Pink Rubber Plant Care
- Sudden Leaf Loss | Suddenly losing a leaf could be caused by moving your plant, which will stress it, or, alternatively, it’s been severely under-watered, underfed, and too cold. If this happens, check the soil moisture and see if there is a draft where your plant is placed.
- Yellow Leaf | Yellow leaves are a classic sign of the plant becoming waterlogged. If this happens, take a break from watering your plant. I know you love him, and want him to not be thirsty, but trust me, he’s good! Now, if there are one yellow leaf, it could just be an older leaf. In which case, carefully prune the foliage off using clean and sharp pruning shears.
- Browning Leaf | The opposite of a yellow leaf is a brown leaf! A brown leaf is probably due to low humidity or inadequate or erratic watering. If the soil is bone dry, give your poor plant some water! Be sure to water your plant in regular intervals.
Variations
As previously mentioned, the Pink Rubber Plant is a variation of the Rubber Plant. However, it is not the only variation of rubber plant out there! This beautiful plant comes in colors from burgundy to white! Some of these variations include:
- Decora
- Burgundy
- Abidjan
- Black Prince
- Doescheri
- Sophia
- Ruby
- Tineke
- Yellow Gem
I hope this Pink Rubber Plant Care post has inspired you to get your own beautiful rubber plant! Don’t worry, I won’t let Dave Ramsey know you spent your money on a plant. As you can see, the care of this plant is simple! The rubber plant will definitely bring a sense of the jungle to your own home!
