The Ming Aralia (Polyscias Fruticosa) makes a beautiful houseplant with its exotic, airy appearance. 

Native to Asia, the Ming aralia is a small evergreen shrub found in the tropics, that has been brought indoors to be used as a houseplant. It is grown for its unusual foliage and interesting form. The finely divided leaves are lacy looking and as the plant slowly grows upward the bottom branches drop off exposing the corky looking trunk. 

The Ming aralia can be grown as tropical houseplant or be used as a bonsai. 

It is not a difficult plant to grow, as it will grow in varying levels of light. It does best in bright, indirect light. Coming from the tropics it does not like cold temperatures. Keep it in an area where the temperature is 18 Celsius or warmer. It does not do well if the temperature goes below 15 Celsius. 

The tropics have a high humidity and Ming aralia’s enjoy a high humidity. Place the plant in an area of the home where the humidity is high such as a kitchen, or bathroom. If that is not possible, the plant can be misted daily or be placed on a pebble tray filled with water. The water level in the tray should be just below the top level of pebbles so that the plant is not sitting in water. Too much water will cause the plants roots to rot and eventually kill the plant. 

When it is time to water the plant, wait until the top of the soil feels dry to the touch and then give it a thorough watering, throwing out any excess water after a few minutes. 

Over the winter months when the plants growth slows down, cut back on the water, as well as on the fertilizer. During the spring/summer months, feed your plants monthly with a balanced 20-20-20, and in the fall/winter, feed it every 10 weeks with 20-20-20. 

Ming aralia is a slow growing plant and does not need to be re-potted every year. It does not mind being root bound and so only needs to be transplanted every 2-3 years when it has outgrown its pot. 

When re potting, use a pot one size larger then the plant is currently in and use a good quality, well-drained potting soil. The best time to transplant is in the spring. 

To grow it as a bonsai, keep it in a small pot, which will confine its growth, and also trim the foliage. You can shape the form of a Ming aralia by trimming the growth. As it grows older the bottom branches will fall off, giving it a beautiful tree form. If they are left to grow as a tropical plant they can grow as large as 1.5 – 2 meters tall.  

-Jos 

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres

-Highway 16 west at Kimball Road

-Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road