The Rubber Tree

Rubber Tree

Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Hevea
Species: brasiliensis

The tree is the most important natural source of rubber in the world. These trees are a tall tree that can grow to be 100 feet tall. They have aerial roots that come to the ground and form what appears to be more tree trunks. The Rubber tree has beautiful smooth, dark, shiny leaves, and a light shaded bark. These trees love to be in full bright lights, but will adapt if necessary to duller lighting. During the day rubber trees prefer temperatures from 21-29 degrees Celsius 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit), and at night they like temperatures from 18-23 degrees Celsius (65-75 degrees Fahrenheit). They also enjoy humid weather therefore the tropical rain forest being the prime living conditions.
The Rubber tree does not do well in conditions that are continuously changing. For example if the climate in the rain forest were to turn into a 4 season climate, like we have here in Canada, the rubber tree may go into shock and the health and beauty of the rubber tree would decline greatly and could even cause death of the tree. This would not be good for the rain forest as the security that the rubber trees aerial roots provide for other plants, such as the banana tree, would be lost. This would create a decline in other types of plants and would minimize the growth and size of the rain forest.

Alexandra Wierenga