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Fatsia japonica
Japanese fatsia
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Image © Great Plant Picks |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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Fatsia japonica is the most distinctive of all evergreens with large palmate leaves. The lobed leaves can reach 16 inches across and provide contrast in the shade garden. It can be grown in mass plantings on larger sites or as a specimen in smaller gardens. Grow it with ferns for contrast and it is excellent when mixed with large plantings of Rhododendrons to relieve the monotony of dark, medium evergreen foliage. Drumstick-like flowers are otherworldly in appearance but add to the distinctiveness of this shrub. Plant with the usual woodland perennials like hellebores, hostas, solomn’s seal and the like. Foliage is excellent in flower arrangements and lasts for weeks when cut. |
| Culture |
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Fatsia will grow in a wide variety of soils with added organic matter and average water requirements. If grown in too much sun the foliage will blanch an unattractive yellow-green. It can be lightly pruned to control size and encourage dense growth. |
| Growing Habit |
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A mounding, multi-stemmed shrub when allowed space, fatsia can reach 10 by 10 feet but is more commonly 6 by 6 feet when managed well. The coarse leaves are quite tropical in appearance though perfectly hardy. |
| Hardiness |
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USDA zones 7 to 10 |
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© 2009 Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden