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nlburkhart

Anyone know what this plant is called?

8 years ago
I picked this guy up at Home Depot. Tag says Low Light Houseplant and sticker says assorted tropical. Can I transplant the baby??

Comments (6)

  • 8 years ago

    Variegated rubber plant is common name

  • 8 years ago
    Ficus elastica ‘Tineke.’
    I wouldn’t consider it a low light plant at all. While it would live with medium light (but grow lanky), like its regular rubber plant brother, it most enjoys high lights to full sun indoors. Also reddens up a lot in full sun.

    Personally I would repot it, but I repot virtually everything on day one. :)
  • 8 years ago
    Oh, and the branch growing...it has enough growth that you could transplant it but your current plant would look much nicer with the additional branch growing in the same pot.
  • 8 years ago
    I’ve learned to also repot initially, bc it seems the soil they usually come in is garbage. I’m a little nervous with this one, I’ve never repotted anything this big. I imagine it’s about the same as smaller plants, though.

    What do you mean plant it in the same? How far apart do they need to be? Also how do I remove it? I can’t find anywhere online where it says anything about rubber trees getting plantlettes or branches like this that you can propogate and how to handle it, it just talks about propogation from leaves or the air layering or whatever.

    Do I just hack it off, remove some of the lower leaves and stick it in soil? What size pot?
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    The shoot off the base isn't a baby so much as branching of the original plant, I would leave it so you end up with a forking specimen - hopefully it will continue to sprout additional branches - instead of a single trunked one that eventually starts to look leggy. Maybe this variegated form is more bushy but otherwise there is a problem with rubber plants producing long branches that don't fork, resulting in a stretching appearance. And quite a bit of space being needed, unless they are cut back.

    Repeatedly.

    Be sure to keep the saucer dumped out and don't water too much during the winter (fall to spring) period, many house plants want much less watering during the dull and cold time of the year.

  • 8 years ago
    Nikki,
    Not quite sure what you mean by “What do you mean plant it in the same? How far apart do they need to be?” If you’re referring to my suggestion to keep the branch attached to the plant, I’m only saying that I would not remove that branch to start a new plant. A single trunk rubber plant is...somewhat dull.

    If you choose to proceed anyway, it’s easy. Snip off the branch with sharp pruners, and carefully but completely remove the lowest leaf (or two). There will be some sap leaking out, so I just let it be for 30 mins or so until it stops. Then just stick it in soil, ensuring that the nodes you exposed (by the leaf removal) are under the soil. That’s where the roots will emerge from. Water in the soil, keep in a bright, warm room, but away from direct sun, and just wait. I do whatever it takes to keep the soil “lightly damp” but never soggy wet again (after the first watering) until it’s rooted. If your weather is cold, then it could take a month. During the warmer months, they root in about 2 weeks in my experience. Of course, it’s never guaranteed but from no less than 30-40 cuttings thus far, I have never had one fail.
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