Where To Keep Rubber Plant At Home? Bedroom? Living Room & More!

The lush green leaves of Rubber plants can make a statement in any corner of your house. They are also rich in symbolism and meaning. Finding the right corner of the house is essential. 

Place Rubber plants in a location receiving indirect sunlight, 65-85°F temperature, and 50-60% humidity. Feng shui suggests the southeast corner of the house or room for good luck and prosperity and northern corners in offices for career success and prosperity.

Do you need help with where to keep the Rubber plants at home? This article is all you need as we will explore the factors to consider while finding the right place for these plants, and some ideal placements for optimal care and energy flow. 

Factors to consider while deciding the Rubber plant location at home 

When you grow Rubber plants or Ficus Elastica, you want them to flourish instead of letting them survive somehow. 

Along with providing the right care tips, the correct placement also matters. 

It is essential for the plant’s good health and your house’s prosperity (feng shui). 

Based on the basic needs and feng shui, here are a few things I take into consideration before deciding where to keep the Rubber plants: 

Light requirements for the Rubber plants 

Rubber plants enjoy 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. 

Thus, a location that receives bright indirect sunlight for 6-8 hours would be ideal for these plants. 

The Rubber plants are often kept near the window or on a window sill for maximum sunlight. But the light must be filtered. 

The best location is a window that receives indirect or dappled sunlight from morning till noon and then some late afternoon or early evening light. 

You can use sheer curtains or Venetian blinds if the sunlight is direct. 

These will filter the sunlight and give your plants the right light intensity without the risk of sunburns. 

If you are keeping the plant on the balcony, ensure enough shade. 

If not, build protection to safeguard your plants from direct sun rays. 

Rubber plant temperature needs 

The next thing to consider is the temperature requirements. 

Different areas of your house will have different temperatures. 

For example, a room with big open windows through which sunlight enters is much warmer in summer than AC rooms. 

In winter, a room with a heating system will be warmer than the others.

You will need a room that provides a consistent temperature ranging around 65-85°F. 

If you live in a place with temperatures higher than usual, move your plant to another location during the hotter months. 

It primarily applies to the plants growing on the balcony or near windows receiving too much sunlight. 

Similarly, you must protect your plant from cold drafts and maintain warm temperatures for colder regions. 

Shift the plant to a warm room where the temperature stays warm, for example, a room with a heating system, furnace, or fireplace. 

Keep proper distance between the unit or fireplace and the plant. 

Additionally, you can buy artificial lights to provide warmth and keep the temperature within the range.  

Rubber plant humidity considerations 

In their native land, the Rubber plants receive high humidity, around 70-80%. 

But indoors, high humidity can be discomforting for humans. 

At least 50-60% of humidity levels should be provided inside the house. 

Different rooms will have different humidity levels. 

For example, your bathroom or kitchen will be more humid than your living room. 

You must keep your Rubber plant in a room with suitable humidity levels, around 50-60%. 

It won’t be an issue even if you cannot find any proper location with the right humidity. 

You can use humidifiers, put pebble trays under the pot, group the plants, and mist the plants. 

But if you don’t want to put these extra effort, keep your plant in a room with 50-60% humidity. 

Rubber plants and Feng Shui 

The above factors are associated with the Rubber plant requirements. 

Except for these factors, you must also position the plant to bring a range of feng shui benefits to your home. 

Rubber plants are low maintenance and can bring good luck, wealth, and prosperity to your house. 

Rubber plants are ideal for bringing feng shui benefits to your house. 

Rubber plants are connected to the wood element in feng shui. 

The Five Elements theory, or Wu Xing, is an essential discipline of feng shui. 

Pet and child safety

Rubber plants have a white sap called latex. 

When ingested, the pets may face serious health issues like diarrhea, vomiting, oral infection, drooling, loss of appetite, and lethargy. 

Hence, you must keep your Rubber plant where pets and children can’t reach or don’t usually visit. 

Read our article Is Rubber Plant Toxic To Pets where we have shared in detail how rubber plants affect the pets’ health and what you can do to prevent it. 

As for the children, teach and train them not to go near the plants or touch them. 

Where to keep Rubber plants at home: Specific locations within the home

I get many questions from readers about the ideal location for the Rubber plants. 

While positioning the Rubber plants, you must ensure that the plants meet their requirements correctly, and it can also look after the well-being of your house by providing good luck and wealth. 

After years of experience, here are a few ideal locations I found to be ideal for the Rubber plants based on their care needs and feng shui: 

Living rooms for decorative aspects 

Living rooms can be an excellent place for the Rubber plants. 

They receive adequate natural light. 

The plant, filled with lush green leaves, will also provide a touch of nature to your living rooms and create an inviting atmosphere. 

Make sure the plant is not exposed to too much direct sunlight. 

Bathrooms 

Bathrooms are also an ideal place for Rubber plants. 

Most bathrooms receive bright indirect sunlight through the windows, which can be ideal for these plants. 

Another advantage is the humidity. 

Rubber plants love humidity, and bathrooms are humid areas. 

However, be careful of the soil’s moisture. 

Water can splash and keep the soil moist. 

Before watering, you should check the moisture level. 

Keep it near the bathroom, where the plant can receive indirect sunlight and humidity. 

It will prevent overwatering and root rot. 

Kitchen 

Another humid area with indirect sunlight is the kitchen. 

Rubber plants’ green leaves will add natural beauty to the kitchen and make it a welcoming space for everyone. 

Place it near an empty counter or floor space. 

But be cautious. Please do not keep it too close to the oven or fire.  

Porch for a touch of nature 

You can keep the plant there with a porch on your balcony. 

Your balcony space will receive a touch of nature, and you can enjoy some time alone, enjoying the greenery while reading books or enjoying coffee.  

Near the window or window sill for sunlight

Any window can be ideal for the Rubber plants if it provides bright indirect sunlight. 

In my region, the south-facing window receives the maximum sunlight, and the north-facing windows get the lowest sunlight. 

South-facing windows provide too much maximum sunlight. 

Direct exposure can burn the plant. 

West-facing windows provide bright indirect sunlight during the day, but the intensity increases in the afternoon. 

East-facing windows provide dappled and bright sunlight, perfect natural light for the Rubber plants. 

You can also choose a south-eastern window. 

This direction can give some partial sunlight (half direct and half dappled) to the Rubber plants. 

Additionally, the direction is considered ideal in feng shui. 

If your plant is near a window receiving direct sunlight, maintain a 4-6 feet distance from the window. 

For a window with dappled sunlight, keep the plant 1-3 feet away from the window. 

Rubber Plant placement according to Bagua Map for prosperity 

Along with the basic needs, you must also consider the feng shui. 

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy that states the quality of energy flowing through your house. 

The practitioners can influence and coordinate the energy by choosing different colors and entities in each room with the help of the Bagua Map.

As mentioned earlier, Rubber plants can provide good luck, success, wealth, and prosperity. 

But to make these qualities effective, correct positioning is essential. 

Rubber plants’ rounded leaves can help diffuse negative energy from areas with sharp corners, provided the placement is correct. 

These qualities will come into action when you place the Rubber plants in the south-eastern location of your house. 

Along with these qualities, Rubber plants can also increase Yang Energy, a type of atmosphere you need while working. 

You can keep this in your home office where you work most. 

The east of the Bagua map is associated with families. 

Placing Rubber plants on the eastern side of the house is ideal for family spaces. 

Where not to keep Rubber plants at home? 

Some places are not ideal for Rubber plants, and learning about them is equally essential. 

I received a message a few weeks back where one of my readers was asking me about the unsuitable locations for the Rubber plants. 

So, I researched about it in detail. 

Based on the basic needs, the wrong places for Rubber plants are: 

• Room with hot temperatures and high humidity. 
• Dark areas with little or no natural light. 
• Close to heating and cooling systems. 
• Near the fireplaces 
• Near open doors and windows from where outside hot and cold drafts enter

In feng shui, the five connected elements may have a negative impact if the plant is wrongly positioned. 

Some elements can clash with others, creating a negative energy in your house. 

Since Rubber plants are associated with wood, it can make them vulnerable to a few elements. 

Fire makes wood weak as it burns and consumes wood in nature. 

In the Bagua Map, fire is connected to the south, controlling fame and reputation. 

If the Rubber plants are placed in a location associated with the fire element, the plant’s ability to spread good luck and wealth can be reduced. 

Wood is also vulnerable to metal, which can clash in feng shui. 

Metal is associated with the west and northwest of the Map. 

In the Bagua Map, areas associated with metal are not suitable for Rubber plants as metal is considered to be cutting through wood in nature. 

Rubber plants are ideal for rooms with Yang energy. 

But they don’t work for areas having Yin energy. 

Yin energy is relaxing, which is needed in the bedroom. 

Do not place the plant in the bedroom. 

It will encourage more Yin energy, and you can sleep well. 

Essential Rubber Plant Care Tips 

Here are some care tips to keep your Rubber plant healthy: 

• Provide the plant with 6-8 hours of bright, indirect sunlight. 
• Keep the soil consistently moist and water the plant only when the top few inches have dried.
• Use well-drained soil that drains excess water while retaining the required moisture. 
• The soil pH should be around 5.5 to 7. 
• Feed the plant every 2-4 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer throughout the spring and summer. 
• Provide with 65-85°F temperature and 50-60% of humidity. 
• Repot the plant once a year during the early spring or summer. 
• Prune the plant in the active months for new growth and to maintain good height and compact shape indoors. 
• Keep an eye out for pests and diseases, and take immediate action to treat the issue quickly and avoid stress. Spray neem oil every two weeks to keep infestations at bay. 

Final thoughts 

Rubber plants are sturdy houseplants with lush green leaves. They are low maintenance and easy to grow, making them common in most houses. Placing the plant in the right place is essential. 

Based on basic needs, a room receiving bright indirect sunlight, warm temperatures, and average humidity is ideal. But according to feng shui, the south-eastern direction is ideal as it will bring good luck, success, wealth, and prosperity. 

Along with these, you must also take into consideration the pets. Rubber plants are not pet-friendly. Therefore, you must ensure to keep the pets away from the plant. Follow the essential care tips to keep your plant healthy and enjoying its greenery. 

Reference: Rubber plant Wikipedia