Scientific Name:
Plerandra elegantissima
( syn.
Schefflera
)
Pronunciation:
pl-RAN-druh el-ee-gan-TISS-ee-muh
Common Name:
false aralia
Family Name:
Araliaceae
Plant Type:
Indoor foliage plant
Key ID Features:
Leaflets toothed, up to 8cm long and 1.5cm wide (potted plants only have juvenile leaves and are unlikely to flower).
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
1.0 - 1.5m
Origin:
Australia / New Zealand (New Caledonia)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate, Low
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Google. Leaflets of mature plants grown outdoors in warmer areas are much larger.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Heavily veined
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Compound Leaf:
Digitate (palmate)
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Linear
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Umbel
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Green-yellow
Flower Time at Peak:
Additional Info:
Indoor plants are unlikely to flower
Fruit Type:
Drupe
Fruit Colour:
Black
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Unlikely to form on indoor plants
Bark Morphology:
Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Brown
Propagation:
Seed
Optimal Temp.:
High
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Leaf drop common due to variuos stresses.
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Mealybugs, Mites, Root rot, Scale insects, Thrips (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
