Polyscias fulva
Polyscias fulva
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations from 750 - 2,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 18 - 36°c[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 1,200 - 2,500mm[1]. Grows best in a sunny position[1]. Prefers a well-drained, sandy to loamy soil[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7[1]. A fast-growing tree[2]. In plantations in Cameroon seedlings reached a height of 2 - 3 metres after 4 years and 15 metres, with a bole diameter of 20 - 40cm after 20 years[2]. The plant is sensitive to fire, but may recover by producing sprouts and suckers[2].
Propagation
Seed - sow in a nursery seedbed in partial shade. Germination rates are usually good, with up to 75% of the seed sprouting within 5 - 7 weeks. Seedlings are gradually exposed to the sun and can be transplanted from the nursery into the field after 4 - 6 months[2]. Fruits can best be collected from the trees as soon as they have become purplish black, but they are sometimes also collected from the ground. They should be dried in the shade for 1 - 2 days. Then the fruits should be soaked in water for 4 - 6 hours and the seeds squeezed out; they float in the water. After drying the seeds in the shade, they can be stored for up to 2 years, preferably at 3°c and 7 - 10% moisture content[2]. Cuttings[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Polyscias+fulva>
Pollinators
Bees, Flies
References
- [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [2]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [3]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.