False Aralia

Schefflera elegantissima (long known as Dizygotheca elegantissima) is a tropical shrub or small tree from the South Pacific, grown as a houseplant for its elegant, filigree foliage.

Young plants display the finest, most thread-like leaves; as the plant matures the leaflets broaden and the habit becomes more tree-like and upright.

It has a reputation for being a little fussy about consistency - it dislikes sudden changes in light, watering, or temperature - but rewards stable conditions with striking, fern-like texture.

• Palmately compound leaves with 7-11 narrow, finger-like leaflets radiating from a central point
• Leaflets are slender and coarsely saw-toothed (serrated) along the edges
• New growth emerges coppery-bronze, maturing to very dark green, almost black
• Slender, upright stems; reaches 4-6 ft or more indoors over time
• Juvenile foliage is much finer and more thread-like than adult leaves

Light: Bright indirect light. Too little light causes legginess and leaf drop.

Water: Keep lightly and evenly moist, letting the top inch dry. It is sensitive to both over- and under-watering, dropping leaves when stressed.

Soil: Well-draining, peat-based potting mix.

Temperature & humidity: Warm (65-80 F) and humid; avoid cold drafts and sudden swings.

Feeding: Balanced feed monthly in spring and summer.

Propagation: Stem cuttings or air layering; seed for the species.

False aralia is native to New Caledonia in the South Pacific, where it grows as an understory shrub to small tree in humid tropical forest.

It is grown worldwide as an indoor foliage plant and, in frost-free tropical climates, as a landscape shrub or specimen plant.