Rubber Trees

Rubber trees are tall trees that grow in warm, wet places. They first came from the rainforests of South America. Today, most rubber trees grow on farms in Southeast Asia. The milky juice inside these trees is used to make rubber for tires, balls, and many other things.

How Latex Is Collected

Workers make a small cut in the bark of the rubber tree. A white, sticky liquid called latex flows out. A cup is placed on the tree to catch the latex. This is called tapping. One tree can be tapped every few days without hurting it. The tree keeps making more latex for many years.

From Tree to Rubber

After the latex is collected, it is sent to a factory. There, it is mixed with other things to make it strong and stretchy. This process is called vulcanization. The rubber can then be made into tires, shoes, rubber bands, and erasers. Natural rubber from trees is still used today, even though we have man-made rubber too.

Fun Facts

• Rubber trees can grow up to 100 feet tall in the wild.
• A rubber tree can keep giving latex for up to 30 years.
• The Maya and Aztec people made rubber balls from latex over 3,000 years ago.

Did You Know?

The bouncy balls used in ancient Central American ball games were made from rubber tree latex, long before Europeans knew about rubber.