Ficus elastica
| Indian rubber tree | ||||||||||||||
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| Ficus elastica Roxb. |
Ficus elastica, also called the rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber tree is a species of plant of the fig genus. It has broad shiny leaves and can grow from the size of a larger potted plant to the size of a large tree. It can yield a milky white sap which has latex and has been used in some cases to make rubber, but it should not be confused with the Para rubber tree, the main commercial source of latex for rubber making.
Native to northern India and Southeast Asia, it is now grown around the world as an ornamental plant, outside in warm climates and inside in colder climates. Although it is grown in Hawaii, the species of wasp required to allow F. elastica to spread naturally is not currently present there.