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The Ficus genus may be most famous for fig trees , but the natural diversity of this 850 species group of plants can be quite surprising .
In addition to tree , there are also shrub , vines , and epiphytes .
Many of these plants have become pop in homes and garden , and slew of cultivar are out there .
Whether you ’re novel to growing genus Ficus industrial plant or a veteran , two cultivar , in particular , are well deserving investing in : Ficus elastica ‘ Ruby’andFicus elastica ‘ Tineke . ’
Ficus Elastica ‘Tineke’ vs ‘Ruby’ (Differences And Similarities)
These two cultivars have a lot in common and some important differences .
As a result , you might encounter you prefer one over the other or resolve to add both to your collection .
Differences Between ‘Ruby’ And ‘Tineke’
The difference between these two cultivars can be reasonably prominent , pull in them both well worth possess in their own rightfulness .
‘ Tineke ’ has been around for a while now and is fairly easy to get delay of .
This also equates to a more often than not lower cost tag .
On the other hand , ‘ Ruby ’ is still relatively new , making it harder to get hold of and relatively expensive compared to ‘ Tineke . ’
Over prison term , this difference of opinion should balance out , but it ’s indispensable to know you might have to put a little more crusade into perplex postponement of a ‘ Ruby ’ at this time .
These cultivar have protective sheaths that cover new maturation and tend to grow from the main stem or subaltern outgrowth .
However , the sheaths take on a unlike appearance between the two plant .
The sheaths on ‘ Ruby ’ tend to be a mystifying , vivid shade of pinkish or red .
‘ Tineke ’ has more subdued sheaths , which are green with a wanton pinkish tint .
When purchasing one of these plants from an online seller , pay attention to the sheath color is significant , as this will often be the key identifier in younger plant .
Considering the price differences , finding a ‘ Ruby ’ that ’s been mislabeled as ‘ Tineke ’ is great , but the opposite will be you far too much .
This is the most unmistakable and striking difference between these two plants .
Both plants will show a pinkish tint to new folio .
However , as the leaves age , they begin to appear quite different .
‘ Ruby ’ has motley green and cream leaves that hold back a deep pinkish to red tincture .
Meanwhile , ‘ Tineke ’ lose its pinkish tones except for its vein .
Instead , the leaves mature into a variegated blend of disconsolate green , light green , and cream .
Similarities Between ‘Tineke’ And ‘Ruby’
Despite their unlike appearances , these two cultivar have a sight in common .
This is in reality a significant benefit , specially if you flunk to catch the sheath colour when purchase one .
The care prerequisite for both of these plants are pretty much identical .
A common tending misapprehension is a feeling that these plants like low inflammation .
In reality , the diversification mean their leaves wo n’t photosynthesize as efficiently since the cream region miss active chlorophyll cells .
Additionally , industrial plant preserve in haymow kindling will drop off their variegation as the plant begins activating chlorophyl cells to try and make up for the lack of light .
No matter which of these cultivars you select , check that they have bright , collateral sunlight so you may get the most out of their wonderful foliage .
Both cultivars deal a weakness common in many houseplants . Namely , they will rarely — if ever — bloom of youth indoors .
Grown outside in idealistic configurations , these plants may bring forth rather everyday flower after about 10 twelvemonth .
The efflorescence grow inside of pocket-size green fruits and are fertilized by fig wasp , so even if your plant manages to bloom , you probably wo n’t even note !
Despite ordinarily quick development in rain forest options , these plant incline to be comparatively slow growers .
They lean to be single - stemmed , so you need to cut back them to encourage branching .
In median conditions , these cultivar will attain a full indoor height of around 9′ feet tall and 2′ to 3′ feet wide in about 15 year .
However , it is more common for ‘ Ruby ’ to pass 2′ to 4′ pes marvelous and ‘ Tineke ’ to be 4′ to 6′ feet improbable when grown indoors , simply because most growers do n’t expend precise clime control to encourage fuller increment .
This is a stark contrast to natural atmospheric condition , where it ’s estimated these cultivar ( found on the parent works ) could reach a peak stature of 100′ feet in only 13 years .
The leaves of both mintage are intimately very , having an ellipse shape that comes to a point .
Each thick leaf can grow up to 12 ” inches long and has a waxy finish .
The foliage raise natural latex , which is believed to service as a natural patch when the leaves are damaged .
This latex paint can cause irritation or allergic reactions in sensible individuals .
Both of these plant life have a common parent – Ficus elastica , better known as the Indian natural rubber tree .
curiously enough , the latex from this plant is no longer used to make rubber , with that honor work to the Pará rubber tree ( Hevea brasiliensis ) .
So Which Is Better?
Because of how closely related ‘ Tineke ’ and ‘ Ruby ’ are , the only factors that will impact which you should get ( if you could only grease one’s palms one ) come down to are the price tag and aesthetic preferences .
‘ Tineke ’ is tawdry and easygoing to discover , and it does gasconade some lovely pink shade on the younger leaves .
However , these pink hue will melt as the leave of absence maturate , resulting in tri - toned diversification that ’s still quite lovely .
On the other side of the coin , you have to be careful when purchasing a ‘ Ruby ’ from online sellers , as they often get the two plants confused if they ’re new .
Thankfully , you’re able to identify ‘ Ruby ’ by its ruddy sheaths , ensuring you do n’t bring home a vernal ‘ Tineke ’ by stroke .
This cultivar is harder to find and more expensive but is well worth it if you want a plant that retain the pink to ruby-red chromaticity in its foliage .
