This tree is a native of Malaysia and India. In Uganda it is mainly grown as an ornamental in gardens and often potted for indoor decoration.In Kampala, rubber plant can be found within Uganda Golf course club, Makerere university, Sheraton gardens, at Constitutional square, among other places.

A large spreading evergreen tree to 30 m in its native rain forests but rarely up to 60 meters with a stout trunk up to 200 cm in diameter. It may grow many aerial roots from the trunk and branches.

BARK: trunk develops aerial and buttressing roots to anchor it in the soil and help support heavy branches.

LEAVES: large, oval and shiny, long, abruptly pointed with parallel side veins, rather leathery to 30 cm, on a yellow stalk to 6 cm. The leaf bud is covered with a pink-red membrane, usually 7 cm but as long as 30 cm on young plants. It falls away when the leaves unfold.

FLOWERS: male, gall, and female flowers within same fig. Male flowers: scattered among other flowers, pedicellate; calyx lobes 4, ovate; stamen 1; filament absent; anther ovoid-ellipsoid. Gall flowers: sepals 4; ovary ovoid, smooth; style subapical, curved. Female flowers: sessile; style persistent, long; stigma enlarged, ± capitate. Achenes ovoid, tuberculate.

FRUIT: FIGS: not often seen, yellow oblong about 1 cm, in pairs in the leaf axils.

Medicine: aerial rootlets, and latex. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=ficus+elastica

Latex is used to line baskets of split rattan, to make them watertight.

Latex can be used for all applications of natural rubber, such as tyres, rubber components for cars and machines and consumer products such as footwear, sport goods, toys and gloves.

Rubber can be made of the tree.

The fibrous bark has been used for the manufacture of clothes and ropes.

The wood is of poor quality, but is occasionally applied for boards, posts, boats and fuel.

Provides firewood.

An ornamental (avenues) and provides shade.