Polyscias fruticosa 'Ming' ('Ming Aralia')

History of Polyscias fruticosa 'Ming' ('Ming Aralia')

Polyscias fruticosa has long been cultivated in wet tropical parts of Southeast Asia and the south-west Pacific, where it grows as a shrub or small tree.

“Ming aralia” has long been used in horticulture for P. fruticosa. It is unclear whether 'Ming' began as a separate named selection or simply became established as a nursery name for the species.

Keeping Polyscias fruticosa 'Ming' ('Ming Aralia') healthy indoors

• Light and position: keep Ming aralia in a warm, consistent spot with bright indirect light. A little morning sun is fine once it has settled in. Long periods in dim light produce weaker, more open growth.
• Watering: let the upper part of the mix dry before watering again and use the lighter weight of the pot as a second cue. Water thoroughly, then let all excess water drain away.
• Warmth and humidity: temperatures around 18–27 °C with medium to high humidity are suitable. Keep the fine foliage away from cold draughts and strong heating vents.
• Potting mix: use an organic-rich mix with bark, perlite, pumice or another chunky ingredient to keep it loose. It should drain readily after watering while retaining some moisture for the roots.
• Pruning and propagation: shorten long shoots above a leaf joint when a bushier crown is wanted. Healthy stems removed during pruning can be rooted as stem cuttings in warm, humid conditions.
• Feeding and repotting: feed with a complete houseplant fertiliser during active shoot growth, using the strength recommended on the label. If shoots stop extending, pause feeding and resume when growth returns. Repot when roots have filled the container or the plant begins using water unusually quickly.

Common problems with Polyscias fruticosa 'Ming' ('Ming Aralia')

• Leaves fall after a change of position: Ming aralia can shed foliage after a sudden change in light, temperature or watering. Keep it in one warm, bright position and continue checking the mix before watering.
• The fine leaflet edges dry and brown: repeated drought, hot dry air or accumulated fertiliser salts are common causes. Water when the upper mix has dried and the pot feels lighter, move the plant away from heat sources and flush the potting mix if salts may have built up.
• Fine webbing or pale speckling develops: spider mites may be feeding among the divided leaflets. Isolate the plant, check the undersides carefully and treat with a product labelled for spider mites, using the repeat interval printed on the label.
• Yellow leaves appear while the mix stays wet: the roots are staying wet for too long and may begin to rot. Give the mix more time to dry and check the roots. If soft dark roots are present, trim them back to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool, discard the rotten material and repot in fresh, freely draining mix.
• Sticky honeydew, cottony deposits or fixed bumps appear: these signs can point to aphids, mealybugs or scale insects. Identify the pest, isolate the plant and use a treatment labelled for it. Keep to the label interval if another application is needed.

Polyscias fruticosa ‘Ming’ (‘Ming Aralia’) is toxic to cats and dogs

• Keep this plant away from cats and dogs that may chew it.
• It contains saponins that can irritate the mouth and digestive tract.
• Chewing may cause drooling, vomiting, stomach pain, reduced appetite or weakness. Contact a veterinarian if symptoms develop.

About the name Polyscias fruticosa

Polyscias combines Greek polys, many, with skia, shade, parasol or canopy. The epithet fruticosa is Latin for shrubby or bushy and describes the woody, freely branching habit.

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

Carl Linnaeus first described it as Panax fruticosus in 1763 in Species Plantarum, second edition, page 1513. Hermann August Theodor Harms later placed it in Polyscias as Polyscias fruticosa in 1894 in Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, volume 3, issue 8, page 45.