Pothos
The classic "can’t kill it" vine. Grows in almost any light, tells you when it is thirsty, and roots in a glass of water.
Rubber Plant
A tougher cousin of the fiddle leaf fig with glossy burgundy or variegated leaves.
Ficus elastica
Glossy rubber plant (Ficus) leaves. Photo: Kuwanishbek, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Light
Rubber Plant tolerates: medium / indirect, bright indirect or some sun. Put it within a few feet of a window; a dark corner will make it weak and leggy.
Watering
Water when the top 2 inches are dry. Less in winter.
Is rubber plant safe for cats and dogs?
Toxic to cats and dogs (milky sap irritates skin and stomach). Keep it on a high shelf or in a room pets can’t reach — or pick a pet-safe plant instead. Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
Size and humidity
Typical size indoors: 3–8 ft (1–2.5 m) indoors. Humidity: not fussy at all.
Top tips
- Hates being moved around — pick a spot and leave it.
- Dropping lower leaves = sudden change in light or cold drafts.
- Cut the top to make it branch.
