Ficus elastica ‘Tineke’

Commercial history and species range of Ficus elastica ‘Tineke’

‘Tineke’ was already being grown commercially in Dutch greenhouses by March 1999. Its earlier selection history has not been traced.

The species Ficus elastica comes from warm, humid regions of Asia, from Nepal and south-western China through parts of Southeast Asia.

Indoor care for Ficus elastica ‘Tineke’

• Light and room for the leaves: Give ‘Tineke’ bright filtered light so the cream-and-green growth remains sturdy. Turn the plant gradually if one side leans towards the window, and keep opening leaves away from cold glass or places where they may rub. Support each broad leaf while wiping it.
• Watering and potting mix: Check below the surface and lift the pot. Water when the area around the roots is partly dry and the container feels lighter, then allow all excess to drain. Use a loose mix with coarse bark and perlite or pumice in a pot with drainage holes.
• Repotting: Move the plant into a pot one size larger when healthy roots fill the container, the mix breaks down, drainage slows or the plant becomes unstable.
• Shaping and propagation: Cut just above a node—the point where a leaf joins the stem—to limit height and encourage shoots below the cut. Stem cuttings need a healthy node. Air layering lets an older stem form roots while it remains attached, after which the rooted section can be removed and potted.
• Warmth, feeding and safe handling: Keep the plant at about 18–26 °C with normal household humidity, away from cold draughts and hot heater air. Feed as directed while leaves and shoots are forming, then pause when growth slows. Wear gloves when pruning because the milky sap can irritate skin and eyes. The plant is harmful if swallowed and should stay out of reach of children and pets.

When Ficus elastica ‘Tineke’ needs attention

• Brown damage appears on the cream parts: A dry patch on the window-facing side usually means scorch; filter the strongest light. A mark at an exact contact point comes from rubbing, so move the leaf away from the surface. Crisp edges on several leaves usually point to repeated drying, hot heater air or residue from frequent feeding. Water thoroughly when the pot is light and the mix is dry, move the plant away from hot air, or run plenty of water through the potting mix once and let it drain fully. Existing brown tissue will remain.
• Several new leaves lose size, spacing and cream colour: One leaf can vary, but a run of smaller leaves with longer gaps and less cream shows that the plant is losing strength. Check whether healthy roots fill the pot; if they do, repot one size larger. Replace potting mix that has become dense and slow to drain. When the roots still have room and the mix dries normally, provide brighter filtered light. Improvement will appear in the next few leaves.
• One shoot keeps producing fully green leaves: One greener leaf can be normal variation. If the same vigorous shoot produces several plain-green leaves in a row while the rest of the plant remains patterned, cut that shoot back to just above the last leaf with cream colouring.
• Several leaves yellow while the potting mix remains wet: Stop watering and inspect the roots. When the roots are firm and the mix is still loose, return the plant to the pot and wait until it dries further. Replace mix that has broken down and stays wet. Use a clean tool to remove all soft, dark root tissue, stopping at firm root; discard the cut roots and soggy mix, clean the pot and repot in fresh, loose potting mix.
• Sticky residue, brown bumps, white clusters, silver marks or fine webbing appear: Sticky leaves, brown bumps and white clusters point to scale insects or mealybugs; silver marks with black specks point to thrips; fine webbing suggests spider mites. Isolate the plant, identify the pest and choose an indoor-plant treatment labelled for that pest. Follow the label’s safety directions and repeat the treatment as instructed.

Ficus elastica ‘Tineke’ 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.

What does Ficus elastica mean, and who first published it?

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.