Ficus elastica prefers bright sunlight but not hot temperatures. It has a high tolerance for drought, but prefers humidity and thrives in wet, tropical conditions. Ornamental hybrids (such as Robusta) have been derived from "Ficus elastica" with broader, stiffer and more upright leaves than the wild form. Many such hybrids exist, often with variegated leaves. "Ficus elastica" yields a milky white latex, a chemical compound separate from its sap and carried and stored in different cells. This latex was formerly used to make rubber, but it should not be confused with the Pará rubber tree, the main commercial source of latex for
Ficus amplissima surface covered with annular scars and a pale yellow . "Ficus amplissima" typically begins as an epiphyte in the branch of a tree that grows aerial roots that can provide nutrients when they reach soil. The aerial roots can surround the trunk of the host tree, which, combined with the growth of "F. amplissima" in the branches, can eventually kill the host tree. "Ficus amplissima" displays a syconium type of inflorescence (arrangement of the flowers on a plant) borne by all figs (genus "Ficus"), formed by an enlarged, fleshy, hollow receptacle with multiple ovaries on the inside surface. It is