Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Parsley Aralia

Polyscias fruticosa (pol-ISS-skee-as froo-tih-KOH-suh ELL-eh-ganz)

Family: Araliaceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

'Elegans' or Parsley Aralia is a dwarf cultivar of Polyscias fruticosa . It is a compact plant and has leaves that are curled, resembling the finely divided leaves of parsley. It is best used in small containers. As with all aralias, it is grown for the attractive foliage as they rarely bloom as a houseplant. Provide this plant with fertile well-drained potting soil in a pot with several drainage holes and allow the soil to dry before thoroughly watering it. Provide bright light or morning sun and prune as needed to shape and control the size. Stem cuttings can be rooted. They can also be used in bonsai. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: More information on Polyscias fruticosa .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 29 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Houseplant
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
11a, 11b, 12a, 12b
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 texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Compound alternate green curly leaves with 7 leaflets. Leaflets are opposite.
Flower detail
Rarely flowers as a house plant
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Houseplants
Garden tags
#houseplant #interesting leaves #container plant #spreading #erect
Problems & Resistance
Propagation
Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.