Breimann&Cie
One of the trees that fascinates me most is Ficus elastica – known to many as the “rubber tree.” In living rooms, train stations or at IKEA, it usually stands as a small potted plant. But in nature, it becomes a giant.
On Mallorca, we recently planted three specimens, each measuring around 20 meters in total circumference at the time of planting – true giants with a combined weight of 42 tons. One of the trees alone weighed an impressive 18 tons.
Just the planting alone took three days per tree. Then the real challenge began: from Valencia, crawling toward the port of Barcelona. Underpasses had to be avoided, traffic lights dismantled, walls taken down. Trees like these have their own logistics.
At the harbor: endless paperwork, health certificates, inspections – because what goes to the island is strictly controlled. Finally, on the ship: the hull sat deep in the water, the weight pressing down. The journey took twice as long. After arriving in Mallorca: again, a snail’s pace – until it finally stood where it will remain, hopefully for generations.
Ficus elastica develops what are called aerial roots, which form in high humidity and later grow into strong supporting columns. They anchor the tree, give it stability – and over time, transform it into an entire tree landscape. (Hence the enormous trunk circumference.)
In tropical regions, such specimens grow into true “forest beings,” with branches that brace themselves, branch out, and root again – a self-supporting system.
Ficus elastica grows slowly but steadily. It is robust, adaptable, undemanding. Once it’s established, it needs hardly any water. Its large, glossy leaves cool the air, provide shade – and create a microclimate you can immediately feel.
That’s why we use it where we want structure and presence at once. A tree with enormous character.
Many know it only as a houseplant. But in its true form, it’s anything but decorative – it’s monumental. A Ficus elastica can grow over 30 meters tall, its crown spreading across dozens of meters. In tropical cities like Singapore or Kolkata, it’s regarded as a symbolic tree – providing shade, cleansing the air, enduring over time.
Despite its monsoon origins, Ficus elastica adapts surprisingly well to Mediterranean conditions. It’s drought-resistant, stores moisture in its trunk and roots, and its leaves are thick and waxy – a natural barrier against evaporation.
And it needs very little water. But when it does get water – it grows fast.
