Ming Aralia
A slow, elegant indoor tree with lacy, feathered leaves on gnarled upright stems, like a bonsai grown to four feet. Fussy about being moved and drafts, otherwise easy; the related Fabian and Balfour aralias have rounder leaves and the same care.
Ming aralia is an indoor tree that looks like it took a hundred years to grow, even when it did not. The stems are upright, slightly twisted and woody, and the leaves are cut into fine, feathery, parsley-like fronds that hang in tiers. A four-foot plant in a good pot is as close to a large bonsai as a living room gets. It is slow, adding a few inches a year.
It has a reputation for dropping leaves, which is earned: it resents being moved, cold drafts, and wet feet, and shows displeasure by shedding. Settle it in one spot with steady watering and it stops. The rounder-leaved relatives, Fabian, Bianca and Balfour, are the same genus and noticeably tougher.
Light
Bright, indirect light. An east window or a couple of feet from a south or west one. It tolerates medium light, slower and thinner. Direct sun through glass scorches the fine leaves. Once it is happy somewhere, do not move it.
Water
Let the top two inches dry, then water and drain. Weekly in summer, every twelve days in winter. Overwatering is the usual cause of leaf drop; the roots are fine and rot readily. Use room-temperature water; cold water shocks it.
Soil and potting
A well-draining potting mix with a third perlite, in a pot with drainage. Repot every two years in spring, two inches up; it is slow and does not need more. A heavy pot keeps a tall plant stable.
Feeding
Half-strength balanced feed every four weeks in spring and summer.
Propagation
Stem cuttings, four to six inches, in damp mix with bottom heat. Slow, six to eight weeks to root, and cuttings sulk for a while after. Air layering works on thick stems.
In a hot, dry home
Manageable with care. It wants forty-five percent humidity, so a pebble tray and a plant group, and it must be kept out of the AC's path, which makes it shed within days. Pick its spot once, near an east window, and leave it there. Water when the top two inches dry, which is about weekly in summer.
Ming Aralia varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Ming (fruticosa)
Finely cut, feathery leaves on twisted stems. The most elegant and the fussiest.
- Ming Gold mini bonsai
A golden-leaved dwarf Ming grown as a small bonsai.
- Fabian
Polyscias scutellaria: round, dark green dinner-plate leaves with purple undersides on a stout stem. Tougher than Ming.
- Bianca
Polyscias Bianca: rounded leaves with a cream margin and wavy edges. Compact and popular.
- Balfour
Polyscias balfouriana: round, leathery leaves, often cream-edged. Tolerates lower light.
Problems and fixes
Leaves dropping after a move
Likely cause: Shock
Fix: Leave it in the new spot and keep watering steady; it settles in a few weeks.
Leaves dropping, soil wet
Likely cause: Overwatering
Fix: Let it dry out; check drainage.
Sticky leaves, white fluff
Likely cause: Mealybugs or scale
Fix: Wipe with alcohol; treat with neem.
Sparse, thin growth
Likely cause: Low light
Fix: Brighter, filtered spot.
Ming Aralia questions
Is Ming aralia safe for pets?
No. It contains saponins that cause vomiting in cats and dogs if chewed.
Why does it keep dropping leaves?
Usually a move, a draft or overwatering. Pick one spot, keep it out of drafts, and water only when the top two inches are dry.
Which aralia is easiest?
Fabian or Balfour. The round-leaved types are tougher than the feathery Ming.
