PLANT ARCHIVE | Fatsia japonica
Fatsia japonica, also known as Japanese aralia, is a medium evergreen shrub with large, glossy palm-shaped leaves. It is a species of the Araliaceae family and is native to Japan, Korea and Taiwan but grows exceptionally well in Australia. In Autumn, Fatsia produces exotic-looking small white flowers in globose clusters, followed by small ornamental berries (not edible).
Growing conditions
Fatsia japonica performs best when positioned in full sun to part shade and has an open spreading growth habit. When planted in well-draining soil, this shrub will typically grow to a size between 2.5m – 4m high and similar in width. Once established, Fatsia japonica is very hardy and frost-tolerant.
Care and maintenance
Fatsia japonica is best pruned during mid-spring primarily to discard any faded or damaged portions or to control the plant’s expansion. Remove branches back to the main stem to maintain an elegant shape.
Fatsia works wonderfully when layered alongside other evergreen plants to provide varying shades and textures. We have grouped it with Euphorbia and Arthropodiums here in our Moonee Ponds garden (image 3/3). It is also well suited in tropical or rainforest-style gardens.
Connect with our Melbourne garden design team to learn more about how you can incorporate this plant into your next project.