A rubber plant, Ficus Elastica Robusta, is a great house plant to grow. I remember when I first left home buying one for the house and being very proud of it. It latest for many years until it finally decided it had had enough and died. I replaced it quickly as a home without a rubber plant is incomplete as far as I am concerned. I have probably had this plant a good ten years or so now and all was well. It took up a large amount of space in the conservatory and was getting to the top heavy toppling over stage. Dear reader, I decided to cut it back a bit so that it could sprout from a lower point and be a more manageable size.