9/4/2023 0 Comments Ruby runner plant![]() With shade loving tendencies, low maintenance requirements, and easy propagation, it’s not hard to see why rubber trees are popular houseplants. Some specimens of banyan figs have been known to grow so large that they were used as makeshift temples for religious ceremonies in their native region. Roots can even grow aerially, reaching between trees.īecause the roots are so prolific, they can quickly become overgrown and “strangle” other plants, including large trees. When given ideal growing conditions, this plant can overtake an area with buttressed roots that spread for hundreds of feet in some instances. Rubber tree is also known as a banyan plant, a part of the epiphyte or strangler fig family. While it’s amazing that tree roots can form such structures, this also acts as a warning. Roots of the plant are extraordinarily tough and highly flexible, so these bridges sometimes survived for hundreds of years. These astounding bridges were created by training the roots of the trees to grow along fallen logs that were placed across ravines and rivers. ![]() The second most historically common purpose for the rubber tree was its use as a material for living bridges. Not only can it irritate skin, it can be toxic to house pets such as cats and dogs as well, and stains nearly anything it comes in contact with. Rubber tree sap will readily spill if the bark is damaged or if limbs or leaves are broken, and should be handled with caution. brasiliensis, which is easier to tap and produces more sap. This type of rubber is now obsolete, replaced by that of the Amazonian rubber tree, H. The latex, or milky sap, that bleeds from the bark when punctured, was once tapped and processed to make rubber. Historically, rubber trees have served two important purposes to the people in the region. Sometimes called rubber fig or rubber bush, in its native environment, this tree can grow over 100 feet tall, branching and sprawling through the forest freely, creating shelter for animals and humans alike. ![]() In the tropical forests between India and Indonesia, the rubber tree grows wild.
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