Mine normally sits in a North Window in the winter, but come summer, it has been in full sun, to no ill effects. So I think it would do just fine in a west window, I find the more light you give them, the more reddish the new growth becomes, thats all. Would love to see a pic if you have one, I think they are gorgeous plants.

Tracy

Hey Trace,
Wanna see some pics? This is mine, kept in a SE filtered window. I got it as a $5 fixer-upper with 1 leaf on it, so it's a little spindly yet. But the leaves are gorgeous!!

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Pretty Leaf


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Whole Thing

Thanks Tracee,I'll see how it does about 2 -3 ft from a west window,so far so good.I have not taken any pics of my plants.
Elfin, When these plants get too spindly Can the bottom cane part be cut and then re-rooted to make the whole plant shorter?

I would think the best way to re root this if it becomes lanky is to air layer it....I wont tell you how, since I have failed many times at this, so my way obviously doesn't work....lol. I tried air layering my regular rubber tree, and it failed so I hacked the tops right off, and it grew new branches. I have a variegated rubber tree too, but I am too scared to experiment on it....lol.

Good luck with it, it is really a pretty plant, I love them, I admire mine every day.

Tracy

Tracy, when you say you hacked the top right off, what exactly do you mean? Sorry to sound stupid, but I have a rubber plant, and it's just one big stem/trunk with leaves coming off, but no more than one leaf per 'branch'. I don't want it to grow tall and spindly -- I'd really like it to branch out. I've never pruned anything before, so have no idea what I'm doing. Do you mean you cut off the top leaves? Or something else?

I just cut the top six inches off, trunk, leaves, everything......they grew new branches, only a couple sprouted two new branches, the rest had only one new one. I figure if I keep it on the short side, the trunk will keep getting bigger, but it wont get tall and spindly. I could be wrong, but I hate the way some plants just get leggy and droopy.

Tracy

Elfin, you're variegated rubber is nice and red..I think they look so pretty when given lots of light and have the reddish hue.
A west window should be fine..Both my green and variegated rubber plants are kept on the second floor in a south window which gets direct sun.
I also noticed since placing in a brighter light, foliage grows closer together therefore it doesn't get spindly.
The best route to go when a Ficus elastica is spindly is by air layering. Just cut a diagonal slit about halfway through the main trunk. Once cut, place wet spghagnum moss inside the slit, cover with plastic, then close plastic using ti's..Remove ti's about once a wk, mist moss thoroughly, reattach plastic w/ti's. It takes 6-8 wks for roots to grow..Once they do, cut under the slit, then plant in soil..
Most ppl air layer when rubber trees grow too tall, up and over the ceiling. Toni