Hevea benthamiana aka Bentham's Hevea

Hevea benthamiana is a tree that stays green year-round. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. It comes from the wet tropics of northern South America. Kew gives its native range as southeastern Colombia to northern Brazil. Useful Tropical Plants lists Venezuela too. It grows on low floodplains and in swamps with Mauritia palms. These sites can stay wet all year. The tree grows both in the wild and in planted sites.

This tree grows fast, reaching about 66 feet [20 metres] tall. Its spread can reach about 49 feet [15 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants records trees as tall as 89 feet [27 metres]. Both sources give a smaller height as the usual size. The tree keeps its leaves all year. The accounts give no details of leaf shape or bark. They do not describe the flowers or say when they bloom. People eat the seeds after treatment. Raw seeds, though, pose a grave risk.

Plants For A Future lists full sun or light shade. The tree accepts sand, loam, and clay that drain well. The stated soil range is mildly acid to mildly alkaline. The same source calls for moist soil. This contrasts with the wet sites where it grows wild. It lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12. This tropical tree is not a choice for cold climates. Plants For A Future says to grow it from seed. The sources give no details of garden pests or diseases.

The tree yields white latex, which people use to make rubber. Its rubber ranks just below Hevea brasiliensis rubber in quality. Growers have raised it in Venezuela and Sri Lanka. They have grown it in Malaysia and Indonesia too. Useful Tropical Plants reports tapping for sale, but not use as plantation stock. Breeders use it to help H. brasiliensis resist disease. They also use it to improve growth traits. The sources discuss it as a crop, not for garden display.

Raw seeds contain cyanide-related compounds. They are poisonous to humans. The sources describe a traditional treatment: long boiling, then discarding the water. Do not use this account as a guide to home preparation. Some Amazonian groups eat the treated seeds as a regular food. Others eat them only when better foods are scarce. Once cooked, they feel soft, much like rice cooked too long. Neither source lists a known use as medicine.