Natural rubber was first introduced to Singapore in 1877 and then it became commercial planting material in Malaysia which was originated from 22 seedlings. Today, rubber industry is the second largest industry in the world after iron and steel. It is one of the most important raw materials that is important for transportation, industry, defense and medical field, and used for manufacture of more than 40,000 products including 400 medical devices.

As a new intern in the Master Gardener program, I have learned a great deal about the environment, soil, and plant specimens of Collin County. While it is different in many ways from my native Nepal, there is at least one of my favorite plants that will grow in both places: the Guayule rubber plant.