Fats

5 |5 Reviews

Fatsia japonica

Caster Oil plant, Glossy-leaf Paper plant; Fatsia; Paperplant; Japanese Aralia

• 
  Most light conditions
• 
  Almost unkillable
• 
  Evergreen

Patch Rewards

Earnpoints

Earn 1 point for every £1 spent

Sign up

• Fats likes...

  • 

    Most light conditions

    He’ll be fine in a shady spot, but equally happy somewhere that gets sun most of the day. Sun all day might be too much.

  • 

    Regular watering

    He likes his soil gently moist. Give him a drink whenever the top two inches of soil are dry and he’ll be very happy.

  • 

    Feeding

    You can help him grow big and strong by giving him a feed with liquid fertiliser once per month in spring and summer.

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Fatsia japonica

  Nickname

  Japanese Aralia; Castor Oil plant; Glossy-leaf Paper plant; Fatsia; Paper Plant

  Plant type

  Outdoor evergreen

  Plant height (including pot)

  30-40cm

  Pet/Baby safe?

  Yes

  Nursery pot size

  17cm

• About Fatsia japonica

  The beautiful Fatsia japonica gets its name from the Japanese word ‘fatsi’, meaning ‘eight’, because its magnificent leaves have eight lobes. It’s found in the wild in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where it lives happily through warm summers and pretty cold winters (it can cope with temperatures as low as −15 °C).

  It’s become hugely popular around the world for its impressive glossy leaves. In summer, you should also see it bloom with small white flowers, then possibly little (inedible) black fruits. 

  Another reason for its popularity is its easy going nature. It’s happy almost anywhere and is a great choice for outdoor space that gets limited sun. It likes a mix of sun and shade best, but it will cope with whatever you can give it. It’s not too fond of strong wind, so try to put it somewhere sheltered.

  Your plant will arrive in it's nursery pot. If you're planning on growing it in an ornamental pot rather than the ground, then you can just pop it right in. It will however stand a much better chance of growing well if you plant it out into some fresh compost directly into the decorative pot. This will allow more room for it's roots to spread and it will dry out less quickly, meaning less frequent watering for you! Just make sure it has drainage holes at the bottom. Either way, remember to repot it every couple of years, to top up the nutrients in the soil.

  Did you know?

  Though it’s sometimes known as the Castor Oil plant, it has nothing to do with castor oil. The proper Castor Oil plant is Ricinus communis.

• Reviews

  5 |5 Reviews

  Powered by

  Reviews with images

  

  Close

  Veroni'k

  My best ‘girl’ she is the show of the house - praised by every single visitor

  Most recent reviews

  

  Veroni'k

  My best ‘girl’ she is the show of the house - praised by every single visitor

  

  

  Polina

  Very suitable plant to put outside on the window-sill

  

  R Mootoosamy

  Planted in the garden, hope it makes it!

  

  Lauren

  Wonderful

  

  Deborah

  Excellent