Product Description:
Native to the tropics of India and Polynesia, Ming aralia is an interesting and exotic houseplant that is technically an evergreen shrub. While it is a bit more temperamental to grow than your average plant, it’s well worth the effort for its fluffy, bright green foliage. Its ferny, feathery leaves droop from graceful narrow branches that grow straight up, forming a many-layered, complex plant. Ming aralia grows slowly just like false aralia but can eventually reach over 6 feet in height with the proper care. While it can be considered an outdoor ornamental shrub in USDA hardiness zones 11 and 12.
Light:
Aralia likes bright, indirect light and can handle light shade. Allowing the plant to get morning sun is good, but it should never be kept in direct sunlight during the harsher afternoon hours. Aim for about six to 8 hours of filtered light a day
Soil:
Aralia prefers a rich but well-drained soil mixture to help balance its need for moisture with its fragile, rot-prone roots
Water:
It’s important to keep your Aralia consistently moist but never saturated. Water the soil deeply and allow it to almost dry out before you water it again
Temperature and Humidity:
Both temperature and humidity are very important to Aralia’s overall growth and success. Aralia can happily handle warmer temperatures (it does beside between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit), but anything below 60 degrees will cause your plant to fail and shed its foliage.
You’ll likely have to up the humidity in your space for the Ming aralia, too. When planting indoors, place your container or pot on a tray filled with wet pebbles to increase humidity levels.
Propagating Aralia:
Ming aralia can be propagated fairly easily through its cuttings.
Repotting Aralia:
Repot annually as needed, or every other year. A mature Ming aralia can reach six feet or higher in optimal conditions, so repot it less often if you want to keep the plant smaller.
