Ficus elastica (rubber fig, "Indogomunoki")

Japanese name: インドゴムノキ
Scientific name: Ficus elastica

[Overview]
An evergreen tree cultivated as a foliage plant.
In its native habitat it reaches 30 m tall, produces aerial roots, and develops buttress roots.
White milky sap comes out when the leaves or stems are damaged.
The leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic, 10–35 cm long and 5–15 cm wide, with a conspicuous midrib, thick in texture, and glossy on the upper surface.
The new shoots are enclosed in red to deep pink stipules.
Because the flowers are borne inside the flower sac, the fruit ripens with no flowers visible from the outside.
The fruit sac is oblong to ovate, 1.5 cm long, and yellowish green.
The seeds are dispersed by birds; in the wild they germinate on trees and grow as epiphytes, and as they grow, their aerial roots may cover the host tree and kill it.
For this reason it is also called the strangler tree.

[Uses]
In parts of India the aerial roots are trained and used as "living bridges."
In the past the sap was collected as a raw material for natural rubber.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or layering.
It prefers fertile soil with good sun and drainage.
It can overwinter outdoors in warm regions free of frost, but it is safest to keep it at 5°C or above through winter, and for variegated cultivars 10°C or above is ideal to preserve the coloring.
Keep potted plants in a bright place such as by a window in winter.
Exposure to cold may cause the leaves to drop.
From spring to autumn, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
In summer it needs to be kept hot and humid, and in winter it tends to be dry, so misting the leaves with a sprayer is beneficial.
In spring and autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil.
Dust easily collects on the leaves indoors, so it is good to wipe them occasionally with a lightly dampened cloth.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew, anthracnose, spider mites, scale insects, and aphids.

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