Few indoor plants carry the same quiet authority as the rubber plant. The broad, lacquered leaves, ranging from deep forest green and near black burgundy to cream-edged variegation and soft blush pink, make Ficus elastica one of the most characterful plants you can bring indoors.

Choose your species. Robusta for classic, unfussy green. Abidjan for dramatic, almost-black foliage. Tineke and Belize for those drawn to variegation. Melany where space is tighter, with a denser habit and darker colouring. Sizes run from small starter plants through to large, straight-stemmed specimens; the kind that settle a room rather than simply fill a corner.