English Name: Assam rubber, Indian rubber tree
Malayalam Name:
Botanical Name Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem.
Family: Moraceae
Flowering & Fruiting: -February
Description: Evergreen tree with broadleaf that can reach heights of 50 to 100 feet. From the Himalayas to Malaysia, Sumatra, and Java, the ficus elastica, also known as the India rubber plant, India rubber tree, or India rubber fig, is a natural species. In its natural habitat. It is a common ornamental tree in the tropics. As trees become older, they create aerial roots that resemble banyan trunks. This incredibly popular indoor plant, which normally reaches heights of 2 to 10 feet, thrives in cooler climes. The thick, leathery, glossy, dark green leaves (up to 12″ long and 5″ wide) and pink to purplish stipules of this plant are distinctive. In the early 1900s, milky sap from these trees was used to produce a subpar rubber.