Japanese aralia care guide

Pets and children

How often to water Japanese aralia

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Every 3 days

Water thoroughly once the topsoil is dry, as a guide; the big leaves lose a lot of water, so avoid drying it out in summer.

Autumn (Oct–Nov)

Every 4 days

Drying slows, so as a guide wait a day or two after the surface dries.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Every 7 days

Growth stops, so water sparingly, roughly a few days after the soil dries.

Light and placement for Japanese aralia

Very shade tolerant and generally best in bright to partial shade; direct summer sun scorches the leaves, and indoors it grows a little away from the window, though too dark a spot shrinks the leaves.

Overwintering Japanese aralia

Overwintering guide: −5°C (23°F) or above

Hardy enough to overwinter outdoors as a guide; leaves that droop in a hard frost recover as it warms, and pots go out of dry cold wind or into a cool room away from heater drafts.

Fertilizing and repotting Japanese aralia

Fertilizer

As a guide, a little slow-release fertilizer in spring and around September; too much makes the leaves oversized and the shape untidy.

When to repot

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep), Autumn (Oct–Nov)

Common problems with Japanese aralia

• Moved into the sun in summer, the leaves scorch.
• In a dark, dry room spider mites and scale insects multiply.
• Overwatering in winter causes root rot.

Tips for growing Japanese aralia

• When it gets tall, cut the stem partway down in April or May; it resprouts lower and can be reshaped.
• Dust settles on the big leaves, so wipe them with a damp cloth now and then.
• Old lower leaves yellowing and dropping is natural turnover.

More shrub and tree care guides

• Japanese camelliaCamellia japonica
• Japanese mapleAcer palmatum
• Pink jasmineJasminum polyanthum
• RoseRosa
• Sasanqua camelliaCamellia sasanqua
• Sweet osmanthusOsmanthus fragrans