Polyscias (Aralia)

All about the Polyscias

In nature the Polyscias grows flowers of at least 7 cm in length. Although the Polyscias growing indoors won’t bear any flowers. Their leaves will bloom and flourish if taken care of properly. Moreover, this tree grows slowly but can reach up to around 180 centimeters (cm) in height when grown indoors.

Nicknames

Polyscias is also called Dinner Plate Aralia as the leaves of the tree are round-shaped and flat, giving the impression of dinner plates.

Different types of the Polyscias

There are quite a few different types of the Polyscias. Some varieties include Aralia Ming Care, Fernleaf Aralia, and Chicken Gizzard.

Origin of the Polyscias

This plant originates from the Pacific regions, making it prone to warmer temperatures and high levels of humidity. Most of the varieties of this plant are found in Vanuatu.

How to take care of the Polyscias

Looking at this plant, you won’t believe it’s low maintenance as it’s a tree, but this is one of the easiest houseplants to take care of and brighten up your interior.

Watering

This Polyscias enjoys moist soil. You can water the plant once a week during the growing months, making sure the soil doesn’t dry out too much between watering. During the winter months, as the plant doesn’t grow much due to the dormancy period, you can decrease the amount of watering.

Even though the plant loves moist soil, be sure not to overwater it as the excess water gathers around the root. This leads to root rot and eventual damage to the plant.

Location

Since Polyscias like sunlight, the best spot for them is where there’s a lot of indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves, while extreme shade will lead to the plant losing its leaves.

As long as you care about temperature and humidity levels, even if you focus less on sunlight, your plant will thrive. The Polyscias plant likes warmer temperatures; above 15°C. Keep it away from drafts such as from air conditioning vents or windows. As it likes higher temperatures, it also prefers high levels of humidity.

There are many ways to increase humidity around a plant. You can mist using a water spray around it regularly, or plug in a humidifier nearby. The best way to create a constant source is to place the plant on a pebble tray. The constant availability of water will increase the levels of humidity around the plant.

Plant nutrition

A Polyscias plant likes loamy and rich soil. When you repot it, which is preferred every couple of years, use a universal potting mix without hydro grains as Polyscias aren’t favorable towards them.

From Spring to Autumn, you can feed your Polyscias with an organic fertilizer every couple of weeks. Don’t use more than the recommended amount. From the end of Autumn until the start of Spring, don’t feed your plant as it tends to become dormant and doesn’t absorb nutrients. This will lead to overfeeding and will damage the plant instead of helping it.

Air-purifying

Although the Polyscias doesn’t absorb toxins from the air, the leaves provide ample oxygen. It’ll provide you with an abundance of clean air during the day in your indoor home or office space.

Toxicity

The Polyscias is mildly harmful for humans and animals. Try not to let your cats and dogs, even children ingest any leaves or juice from the plant. Look out for symptoms in your pets such as vomiting, blisters or rashes. For humans, your skin can become irritated if it touches juice or you might get stomach pain.

Diseases

One of the great things about this plant is that it can resist pests. However, spider mites, scale and mealybugs can sometimes cause infestation; all you have to do is use neem oil or wipe the leaves with a damp cloth and your plant will be good as new. Try to take these precautions as soon as you suspect anything; if the pests spread, your plant can be ruined for good.

Propagation of the Polyscias

It’s very easy to propagate the Polyscias. You can use simple cuttings. Remove the leaves from the cutting, and dip into a rooting hormone. This provides stimulation for the roots to grow and take root in the pot.

Place the cutting in a pot, with peat moss and moist sand. To ensure that moisture remains high, you can cover the pot with a plastic bag until the roots grow. After a couple of weeks you can remove the cover so the plant can continue its normal growth. Furthermore, to provide it with a fresh look, you can prune the leaves as well.