Enticing flowers bloom in competition, a breathtaking sight

Rubbervine, commonly known as rubber vine, is a woody perennial vine native to southwestern Madagascar. It is also a prominent weed in northern Australia, and it has been introduced to most other tropical and subtropical regions because of its attractive flowers and fruit; its latex contains commercial-grade rubber, hence the name.

Rubbervine

Geographic distribution:

It is now found in the Caribbean, India, Mauritius, East Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the southern United States, Fiji and New Caledonia.

Growth habit:

Seeds germinate after rain in the first rainy season, but growth is not rapid until after the rainy season begins. However, if sufficient water is available, rubber vine can grow up to 5 m in 1 month. Flowering usually occurs after the rainy season ends, followed by fruit set. Mature and immature fruit can usually be found on rubber vine at any time.

Rubbervine

Rubber vine seeds are dispersed by strong wind and floods. This is especially important when very large river floods occur in Australia.

Rubber vine can grow up to 2 m tall as a shrub, but when it grows as a vine supported by other vegetation, it can reach 30 m long. Rubber vine prefers areas with annual rainfall of 400 to 1400 mm and is well adapted to monsoon climates. It can grow best with annual rainfall of 1700 mm, but seeds do best with annual rainfall of 400 mm or less.

Rubbervine