False aralia (Dizygotheca elegantissima), also known as spider aralia or threadleaf aralia, is grown for its attractive foliage. The long, narrow, dark green leaves with saw-tooth edges are coppery colored at first, but as they mature they turn dark green, appearing almost black on some plants. Bright light causes dark, blackish-green color on mature leaves. False aralia is usually purchased as a tabletop plant, but with proper care, it can grow 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 2 m.) tall over a period of several years. Let’s find out more about the care of false aralia plants.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Plerandra elegantissima (formerly called Schefflera elegantissima and Dizygotheca elegantissima), the false aralia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, native to New Caledonia.
Growing to 8–15 m (26–49 ft) tall by 2 m (7 ft) broad, it is an evergreen shrub or tree. Its leaves are thin, coppery red to dark green with toothed edges and consist of 7-11 leaflets. On adult plants the leaves are much broader. In autumn it bears clusters of pale green flowers followed by black fruit.
With a minimum temperature of 13–15 °C (55–59 °F), in temperate zones it is grown as a houseplant and is much more compact, typically reaching heights of 2–3 m (7–10 ft). In cultivation, it needs a lot of light and humidity. The soil should dry out between watering. This plant has little branching and is sensitive to the appearance of mealybugs.
Under the name Schefflera elegantissima, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
False aralia does best in bright, indirect light. The leaf color is affected by overall light levels—the more light it gets, the darker the mature leaves will appear. However, be mindful of exposing the plant to any harsh direct rays of sunlight. They can damage the thin, delicate leaves and cause them to brown.
A spot that gets a few hours of direct morning sun, such as an east-facing window, should be fine. But avoid direct strong afternoon sun. Also, regularly rotate the container to expose different sides to the window, ensuring that the plant grows evenly.
Temperature and Humidity
False aralia hates to be cold. The ideal temperature range for false aralia to thrive is somewhere between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, though it can handle brief dips in temperature to about 45 degrees. However, prolonged cold temperatures below 60 degrees will cause the plant to drop leaves and eventually die.
Additionally, false aralia loves humidity and will need humidity levels of at least 50 percent to thrive. To raise humidity, you can spritz your plant with water or set its pot on a shallow tray filled with water and pebbles, making sure the bottom of the pot isn’t sitting directly in the water.
Watering
False aralia prefers a steady supply of soil moisture, but it will struggle in soggy soil. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the top 1 to 2 inches of soil are dry to the touch before you water again. Continue to keep your false aralia’s soil moist but not soggy when it’s outdoors. That might mean watering more frequently in hot weather. But if your plant gets rainfall, refrain from watering until the top couple of inches of soil have dried out.
Soil
False aralia likes a moist but well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH. It does not do well in sponge-like potting media, so opt for a peat-based mix instead. Make sure your chosen blend has plenty of coarse material—you want something that retains moisture but drains quickly and does not become waterlogged.
Fertilizing
Supplement poor soils or boost a slow-growing false aralia by giving it fertilizer during its growth period. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength and apply it as you water the plant. You can feed it every other month over the spring and summer. Avoid fertilizing the plant during the dormant winter season.
Pruning
Because this plant is slow-growing, its pruning needs are low. But you should promptly prune off any damaged or diseased portions to keep the rest of the plant strong.
Propagation
You can grow false aralia from seed or from cuttings, though neither method is particularly reliable. That’s probably why most people simply opt to purchase a plant.
- From Seed
Outdoors, false aralias produce fleshy fruits with textured, orange skin. Inside the plum-colored flesh, you’ll find seeds at the center. You can either remove the seeds from the fruits yourself, or purchase them from a reliable source and sow them in a seed-starting medium.
Soak the seeds for 48 hours in lukewarm water and then drain. Place the seeds in a mixture of equal parts sphagnum moss and sand inside a sealable bag or jar.
Keep the medium moist until the seeds germinate, which may take up to five weeks. The temperature should be around 70 to 75°F, and the seeds should be placed somewhere with bright but indirect light.
When the seeds sprout, plant each one a quarter-inch deep in a four-inch container filled with seed-starting mix. Keep the mixture moist but not wet, and continue to maintain the same temperature and light exposure that the seeds were germinated in.
Once the seedling has formed a true few leaves and is several inches tall, you can transplant it as described below.
- From Cuttings
Spider aralia propagates well from softwood cuttings, and this process should be done in the spring.
So long as your plant is over two years old, you can take a cutting by snipping about nine inches from the end of a stem. This wood should be soft and green, not hard and brown. Make the cut at an angle, and remove the leaves from the bottom half.
Dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder and insert the cutting into a four-inch container filled with a seed-starting medium so the bottom few inches are submerged. Ideally, the medium should include a mixture of sand, perlite, and moss or coco coir.
Mist the plant with water several times a day, or place a tent of plastic or a glass cloche over the cutting.
New roots should form within a few weeks. The plant will resist if you give it a gentle tug and new leaf buds may have formed as well.
Potting and Repotting
To pot false aralia, select a container that’s just slightly larger in both width and depth than your plant’s root ball. This plant doesn’t mind being a little root-bound. An unglazed clay container is ideal because it will allow excess soil moisture to evaporate through its walls. And drainage holes in the bottom of the container are a must.
It’s best to add only one false aralia plant per container, as this specimen ultimately does become fairly large. But because this plant is slow-growing, you likely will only have to repot every other year. If you see roots growing out of the drainage holes or popping up out of the soil, you’ll know it’s time to repot.
Pests and Diseases
False aralia don’t like to be moved. A sudden change in location causes the leaves to drop off. Make environmental changes gradually and try not to move the plant in winter. Spider mites and mealybugs are the only pests of concern. A severe spider mite infestation can kill the plant. Wipe the undersides of the leaves with a soft cloth dipped in insecticidal soap and mist the plant twice daily for a week. If the plant doesn’t show signs of recovery after a week, it is best to discard it. Handpick as many of the mealybugs from the plant as possible. Treat the areas near the base of the leaves with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol every five days, especially where you see the cottony masses of insects. Insecticidal soap is helpful when mealybugs are in the crawling stage, before they attach to the foliage and assume their cottony appearance.
III. Types of False Aralia
There are some varieties of false aralia to consider, including:
- ‘Galaxy’ false aralia: shiny, dark green leaves that are more clustered than other varieties.
- ‘Variegated Galaxy’ false aralia: dark green leaflets that are edged in a golden hue.
- ‘Gold Crest’ false aralia: a more feathery leafed variety with lighter green leaves edged in gold.
- ‘Olympia’ false aralia: the most “colorful” variety, with dark green leaves among shades of reds and violet.
IV. Uses and Benefits
False aralia is a pretty indoor plant and an evergreen garden plant, beloved for its interesting leaf shape and slim, sprawling height, both of which give it a feather-like appearance. Thanks to its slender growth habit, it doesn’t take up much space.
