Polyscias balfouriana 'Butterfly'

Butterfly aralia in the wild and cultivation

Polyscias balfouriana is native from New Guinea to Queensland in wet tropical forest. Plants sold as ‘Butterfly’ also appear under Polyscias scutellaria, a related Pacific species with a long history of cultivation in eastern Malesia and the south-west Pacific.

These names have overlapped in gardens and nurseries for many years. ‘Butterfly’ reliably identifies the pale-edged cultivated foliage, but the trade name alone cannot confirm which of the two species underlies a particular plant.

Growing a container tree or shrub

Watering

Allow the upper few centimetres to dry without letting the fine woody root ball become bone dry, then water slowly to runoff and discard the excess.

Feeding and pruning: Use light, regular feeding while new leaves are developing, then reduce it in slower periods. Remove vigorous completely green shoots if the aim is to maintain Butterfly, since they may outgrow the variegated crown.

Light: Polyscias ‘Butterfly’ prefers bright, filtered light. Its cream-edged leaves contain less green tissue than an unvariegated plant, so deep shade weakens growth, yet the pale areas also scorch readily in abrupt sun.

Roots and substrate: Use a well-aerated, humus-rich mix. Moderate humidity limits dry edges, while airflow prevents persistently wet foliage.

Troubleshooting Polyscias balfouriana 'Butterfly'

Polyscias ‘Butterfly’ can shed leaves after relocation, chilling, repotting or a sharp watering change. Do not assume every fallen leaf means drought. Check the root zone and stem firmness, then stabilise light, warmth and moisture. Buds below the bare section can restart once the plant settles. Dark, soft roots or a sour mix, however, indicate saturation and require removal of decayed tissue and a more aerated root zone.

Completely green shoots are reversion, not a response that stronger light will reverse. Remove vigorous reverted shoots back to variegated growth if preserving the Polyscias ‘Butterfly’ is the aim. Crisp cream margins may reflect sun, drought or salts; soft translucent pale areas point more towards cold or persistent wetness. Correct the cause and retain enough healthy foliage for recovery.

Spider mites cause fine pale stippling and webbing, often before the whole crown looks dull. Scale and mealybugs collect along stems, leaf stalks and sheltered joints and may leave sticky residue. Keep an affected plant apart from other foliage. Clear away accessible pests, then treat the sheltered feeding sites with a product appropriate for the identified pest. Repeat inspection through several new leaves, since old stippling and scars remain visible.

Polyscias balfouriana 'Butterfly' is toxic to cats and dogs

• This plant is toxic to cats and dogs; its toxicity to humans has not been reliably established.
• The plant contains saponins that can irritate the mouth and digestive tract.
• Chewing may cause drooling, vomiting, abdominal pain, reduced appetite or weakness. Contact a veterinarian for pet exposure or a medical professional for human exposure if symptoms develop.

About the name Polyscias balfouriana

Polyscias combines Greek polys, many, with skia, shade, parasol or canopy. The epithet balfouriana honours the Scottish botanist John Hutton Balfour.

Johann Reinhold Forster and Johann Georg Adam Forster established the genus Polyscias in 1776 in Characteres Generum Plantarum, second edition, page 63.

Édouard-François André first described it as Aralia balfouriana in 1898 in Revue Horticole (Paris), volume 70, page 229. Liberty Hyde Bailey later placed it in Polyscias as Polyscias balfouriana in 1916 in Rhodora, volume 18, page 153.