Schefflera elegantissima
COMMON NAMES
False Aralia, Threadleaf Aralia, Spider Aralia
Schefflera (shef-LEER-uh) - named for J.C. Scheffler, 19th century German botanist
elegantissima (el-eh-gan-TISS-ih-ma) - most elegant, beautiful
OTHER NAMES / SYNONYMS
Dizygotheca elegantissima, Aralia elegantissima
GROUP
Dicot
FAMILY
Araliaceae
ORIGIN
New Caledonia
DESCRIPTION
False Aralia is an evergreen shrub/tree that averages 15 to 20 feet in height with a 5 to 10 foot spread – though it’s reported to get much larger in the wild. It’s upright with a slightly rounded crown and usually multi-trunked. It can be trained as a small tree. It has a moderate growth rate.
Leaves are evergreen, palmately compound with 7 to 9 leaflets, lobed to serrately margined, and spiral to alternate in arrangement. The young foliage is more lacy and slender and the older foliage is thicker and broader. It is dark green to almost purplish above and a copper color below.
The greenish-yellow to white flowers are borne in umbels. It blooms in the summer, but the blooms are not commonly seen in cultivation.
Fruit are small, brown to black, round, and fleshy, but are rarely seen in cultivation.
HARDINESS
It is hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11
LIGHT
Full sun, partial shade, and even deeper shade. The best growth is in light shade.
SALT
Poor Salt Spray Tolerance – it’s risky for this plant to be put in a coastal area as it has minimal tolerance. It would require multiple layers of protection such as in a greenhouse, indoors, or in a small enclosed area such as a courtyard beyond the dunes.
SOIL
It will grow on a wide variety of well-drained soils in the pH range of 6.5 to 7.5.
WATERING
It has good drought tolerance once established, so minimal watering is needed for survival in dry spells. As with most plants, though, ample irrigation in droughts keeps it healthier and looking better.
PROPAGATION
Cuttings, seed, air layering
FERTILIZING
It has no special fertilizer needs. Unless a soil test suggests otherwise, a slow-release balanced analysis fertilizer applied per the product label will work.
PESTS
Boisduval Scale - University of Florida
Lobate Lac Scale - University of Florida
Root Knot Nematodes - Missouri Botanical Gardens
Citrus Whitefly - University of Florida
Chilli Thrips - University of Florida
Rugose Spiraling Whitefly - University of Florida
False Spider Mite - Brevipalpus californicus - University of Florida
Red Wax Scale - University of Florida
Mealybugs - University of California
DISEASES
Anthracnose - University of California
DEER
Resistant
There are very few totally “deer-proof” plants. There are also, relatively speaking, few plants that are considered a preferred food supply of deer. Most plants fall in the big gap between. One of the biggest variables is the available preferred food supply in a given area. If their preferred food is scarce, they will munch on most anything.
OTHER
USES
Containers – indoors and out; shade gardens; background plant; accent plant; tropical effect; specimen plant
California Poison Control lists Dizygotheca elegantissima as non-toxic.
ASPCA lists Dizygotheca elegantissima as non-toxic to dogs and cats.
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