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False Aralia Plerandra elegantissima

Previously known as:

  • Dizygotheca elegantissima
  • Schefflera elegantissima
Phonetic Spelling
pl-RAN-druh el-ee-gan-TISS-ee-muh
Description

This evergreen shrub or tree in the Araliaceae family is often grown as a houseplant in temperate regions.   It requires high humidity.  Keeping the potting soil moist will benefit this plant.  It's showy blooms rarely flower indoors. Its a good specimen plant in tubs for home and commercial office corners, atria, or as a specimen tree in larger interior landscape sites.  It is a commonly cultivated outdoor tree in Hawaii, Florida & parts of California.

Outdoor plants can be brought in during the winter months.  Periodic pruning will help to control its size.  

Easy to identify by its palmately compound leaves.  Its leaflets are stalked, narrow, oblong and irregularly serrated.  

The leaves on a young plant are green with coppery-green on the underside.  They are narrow, toothed leaflets, up to 1/2" wide and 3" long.  As the plant matures, the leaves become much larger, up to 3" wide and 12" long.  The larger leaves also lose some of the glossiness of its youth.

Quick ID

  • Large indoor shrub with palmately compound leaves
  • Leaflets are stalked, narrow, oblong and irregularly serrately lobed
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#houseplant#interiorscape#fantz#non-toxic for horses#non-toxic for dogs#non-toxic for cats#container plant
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#houseplant#interiorscape#fantz#non-toxic for horses#non-toxic for dogs#non-toxic for cats#container plant
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Plerandra
    Species:
    elegantissima
    Family:
    Araliaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    SE. New Caledonia
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Shrub
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Broad
    Erect
    Open
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Drainage:
    Moist
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Black
    Fruit Description:
    Globose black fruit that rarely appears indoors.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Green
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Winter
    Flower Description:
    It flowers in autumn with clusters of green flowers followed by black fruits. Rarely blooms indoors.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Green
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Margin:
    Sinuate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Leaves are palmately compound, to 25 x 8 cm. Leaflets are 7-11 cm in terminal rosettes. They are narrow, oblong, coarsely serrately lobed or sinuate, stalked, dark green above and dark brown-green below, with a white midrib.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Brown
    Dark Gray
    Bark Description:
    The bark is dark brown-gray.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Stems and petioles dark green mottled white maculate.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Houseplants
    Patio
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Specimen