Ficus elastica ‘Cloe’

Cultivated origin of Ficus elastica ‘Cloe’

Jan van Geest found the plant in summer 2015 in a greenhouse in ’s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands. It developed as a naturally occurring change in a ‘Robusta’ plant.

Cloe is the commercial name for the cultivar documented as ‘ESFIDECLO1’.

Indoor care and shaping of Ficus elastica ‘Cloe’

• Light through the whole plant: Place Cloe where bright filtered light reaches the centre and more than one side. Turn it gradually when the newest growth points towards one window. Wipe the broad leaves and clear fallen leaves from between the stems so the inner growth remains easy to inspect.
• Shape and support: If your plant has several main stems, keep them all for a fuller shape or remove selected stems near the base for a more open plant. If it begins to lean, first make sure the roots are firmly held by the potting mix; add a stake only when the stem itself needs support.
• Watering: Let part of the potting mix around the roots dry before watering again. Use pot weight as a second cue, then water thoroughly and allow all extra water to drain.
• Repotting: A loose bark-based mix with perlite or pumice keeps air around the roots. Repot when roots fill the pot, drainage slows, the mix becomes dense or the growing top makes the plant unstable.
• Pruning and propagation: A cut just above a node—the point where a leaf joins the stem—can produce shoots below the cut. Stem cuttings need a healthy node, and air layering can root an older stem before it is removed.
• Warmth, feeding and safety: Keep Cloe at about 18–26 °C with normal household humidity, away from cold glass, draughts and hot heater air. Feed while new foliage is forming and pause when growth slows. Wear gloves when cutting because the milky sap can irritate skin and eyes, and keep the plant away from children and pets because it is harmful if swallowed.

Common symptoms in Ficus elastica ‘Cloe’

• Several new leaves and the growing tip keep turning towards one side: One-sided light is the usual cause. Move the plant to a position with brighter filtered light from more than one direction and turn the pot gradually.
• Several leaves suddenly hang lower and the pot feels light: The roots are too dry. Water thoroughly, let the excess drain and keep the plant away from cold draughts while the leaves regain firmness.
• Several leaves hang lower or turn yellow while the potting mix stays wet: Stop watering and inspect the roots. Return the plant to its pot and let it dry further when the roots are firm and the mix is loose; replace potting mix that has become dense or stale. With a clean tool, remove every soft, dark part until the remaining root is firm, then discard the damaged roots and soggy mix, clean the pot and replant in fresh, loose potting mix.
• Several inner leaves turn yellow while the pot dries normally: One old shaded leaf can age naturally. When several inner leaves yellow together, increase the light reaching the centre, remove fallen debris and watch whether later leaves remain healthy.
• Distorted new leaves, silver marks, webbing, sticky residue or pest clusters appear: Silver marks with black specks point to thrips; fine speckles and webbing suggest spider mites; sticky leaves, fixed brown bumps or white clusters suggest scale insects or mealybugs. Isolate the plant, inspect the inner growth and use an indoor treatment labelled for the pest you find. Follow the label’s safety directions and repeat the treatment at the stated intervals.

Ficus elastica ‘Cloe’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs, and avoid contact with its milky sap.
• The latex contains ficin and psoralens, which can irritate the mouth, digestive tract, skin and eyes.
• Exposure may cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting, stomach pain or a skin rash. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or persist.

About the name Ficus elastica

Classical Latin ficus means fig. Elastica refers to the latex once investigated as a rubber source.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Ficus in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 1059; Joseph Pitton de Tournefort had proposed the name.

Jens Wilken Hornemann first described Ficus elastica in 1819 in Supplementum Horti Botanici Hafniensis, page 7; William Roxburgh had proposed the name.