Aralia Balfour is a shrub or small tree that is cultivated as an ornamental in the landscape or as an indoor houseplant. It is native to the moist tropical habitats and lowlands of New Guinea and Queensland and has been introduced to the tropical areas of Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. It has reportedly been listed as invasive in Cuba. This plant grows from 2 to 6 feet tall. The leaves are broadly elliptic to reniform, papery to slightly leathery, and the margins are coarsely crenulate or shallowly serrate. The blooms are erect and appear as a panicle of umbels. This plant rarely produces flowers or fruits in cultivation. Aralia Balfour prefers full sunlight but is tolerant of partial shade. It grows best when kept slightly damp with good humidity as in a tropical climate and light to medium, acidic to neutral soil. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Shoot blight and fusarium wilt may occur. Susceptible to root rot. More information on Polyscias .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheAlocasia 'Calidora'Alocasia x mortfontanensisEuphorbia tirucalli
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Houseplant; Shrub; Tree
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
10a, 10b, 11a
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Growth rate
Slow
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Obovate; Ovate; Reniform
Leaf margin
Crenulate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery; Papery
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Rounded trifoliate (3 leaflets) leaves with coarsely crenulate or shallowly serrate margins. Leaflets are elliptical to reniform and occasionally ovate to obovate.
Flower form
Panicle; Umbel
Flower detail
The blooms appear as panicles of umbels. It rarely flowers in cultivation.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit detail
It rarely fruits in cultivation.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Stem color
Gray/Silver; Green
Stem detail
Twisting green stems speckled with gray spots
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
New Guinea to Queensland
Distribution
Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, New Caledonia, Puerto Rico