Aralia
Aralia
Polyscaisas and Aralia
Light Level: High
Water Level: Medium
These are flowering shrubs in the wild although in cultivation they rarely bloom. These are not the same as Dizygotheca elegantissima ( See: False Aralia).
P. crispa is the Chicken Gizzard Aralia and has emerald green leaves that are crisp, curled and somewhat dwarf upright appearance.
P. pinnata ‘Balfour’ has variegated green and white marbled foliage and an upright habit.
P. pinnata ‘Dinner Plate’ has large, round leaves.
P. pinnata ‘Pennockii’ and ‘Marginata’ are somewhat smaller plants than the ‘Dinner Plate’, P. pinnata.
P. scutellaria is the Fabian Aralia or Plum Aralia which has leaves that have purplish coloring on the undersides.
P. giulfoylei is the Black Aralia with very dark green foliage.
P. fruticosa ‘Ming’ is the oriental looking Ming Aralia.
Country of Origin
Polynesia and other Pacific Islands, North America
Maintenance Tips
These plants like higher humidity and warmer temperatures. They are moderately heavy feeders so adding granular controlled release fertilizer to the growing medium should result in a happy plant. Use a growing medium that drains well, and does not have high moisture holding capacity.
Allow the growing medium to dry out between waterings, otherwise, various diseases are likely. Do not apply too much water with any single irrigation.
Pests and Problems
Two-spotted mites, spider mites, mealybugs, scale and aphids.
Root rot, leaf spot, and foliar blight can be avoided with good watering practices. Severe leaf drop can be caused by blight, elevated soluble salts, or moisture fluctuations.
These plants are very sensitive to ethylene gas exposure. Plants will drop lower foliage severely. Waterlogged soil tends to generate ethylene, and if air circulation is poor, leaf drop can occur.
For more care information visit our comprehensive Indoor Gardening Guide.