PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
Polyscias fruticosa
Araliaceae FAMILY

Polyscias fruticosa

Polyscias fruticosa

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
GrowthSlow

Succeeds in the tropics and the subtropics[1]. Prefers a position in bright shade or part sun[2]. Requires a well-drained, acid soil[1]. All parts of the plant. Especially the leaves. are sweetly scented[3]. Plants can flower all year round[4].

Propagation

Seed - best sown when fresh[1]. Stem cuttings. Cut off the tops of old plants which will in turn stimulate the formation of new growth. Use 10cm long shoots as cuttings. The optimal rooting temperature is with a bottom heat of 21 - 23°c[2]. Avoid heavy misting since the roots develop slower when the soil is waterlogged[2]. Avoid disturbing the plant roots during the propagation[2]. Root cuttings - these are made with 25mm long root segments. The top of the root should be level with the surface[2]. Air layering. Division of root suckers. Some cultivars produce an abundance of suckers that can be removed when their root system is developed. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Polyscias+fruticosa>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Food Plants of Papua New Guinea — French. B.R. · Author. · 2006 ↩︎Published on-line in PDF format, this book contains information on several hundred New Guinea food plants.
  2. [2]Desert Tropicals — http://www.desert-tropicals.com/ ↩︎The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
  3. [3]Medicinal Plants in Vietnam — Nguyen Van Dan & Doan Thi Nhu · World Health Organisation · 1989 · ISBN 92 9061 101 4 ↩︎An excellent book, giving information on over 200 plants, their medicinal compounds and applications.
  4. [4]Tropical Ornamentals; A Guide — Whistler. W. Arthur. · Timber Press Inc. Oregon. · 2000 · ISBN 0-88192-448-2 ↩︎An excellent little guide to some of the more commonly cultivated ornamental plants of the Tropics, often giving some information on the plants other uses.
  5. [5]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  6. [6]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  7. [7]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]The Useful Plants of the Island of Guam — Safford W.E. · Smithsonian Institute; Washington. · 1905 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A very comprehensive, if rather dated, guide to the plants of Guam. It can be downloaded from the Internet.