PlantFiles: False Aralia
Schefflera elegantissima

I don't give this plant a negative experience because I dislike it. I actually love it but have had a terrible time growing it. In the past few years I have managed to kill about three of them but am able to grow other sort of finicky plants (violets, maidenhair ferns, etc) I like this plant but do not advise it for beginners.

I had no idea that this species is "false" but I love it! So nice to look at and feel. Looking foward to the many different ways that I can grow it.

I bought one about 1 ft. tall about two years ago and planted it in my garden. It's now almost 5 feet tall and looks beautiful.

I found this dizygotheca e. in a Target store, surprisingly.
Altho only a 4-inch pot to start, it has made a nice transition
to a 6" pot in the 8 months as a house plant. It lives in my
kitchen window, over the sink, thus enjoying humidity and
a bright but not direct west light exposure. So far it is not
dropping any lower leaves and is making new top growth.
I would not try it as an outdoor plant here, in West Texas,
as our summers are very dry and winters are zone 7. I like
the dark, exotic look of this plant and seldom find one in the
local plant sources. It does somewhat resemble marijuana
at a casual glance, which I find rather charming - ha.

I am in zone 8a. I keep a pair of these on either side of the front door. They get very little direct sun, but bright light. When the temp is going to drop under 36 degrees, I set them in the garage, and when the weather warms up again (lows higher than 36) out they come again. They are now four years old and are beautiful. They require a good bit of water. If they wilt once, they never fully recover.

I am trying to grow False Aralia in a greenhouse environment in central Arkansas.
The plant is hanging on but not thriving.
I do believe the challange will be worth it when I find the right conditions. I used to have very good luck growing these as house plants in the San Juaquin Valley.

An easy to grow plant hardy to a zone 9b. It grows outdoors all over Sou Cal and protected,sheltered spots in the Bay Area. A fast grower once it is established. It needs plenty of water since it is shallow rooted and hates being moved or dug up.
EDIT:..Young plants had no trouble with the freeze of Jan 07. ..no protection and still not a spot of damage. 9b plants for sure..

Native to the New Hebrides, the false aralia makes an elegant houseplant; but it is nowadays an uncommon find in the high-volume stores. While it may be "false," this species shares the delicate fussiness of its "true" aralia cousins, and will promptly drop its lower leaves whenever its needs are ignored. It is probably most sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and shouldn't be left outside if temperatures will fall below 15 C (60 F). For the same reason, be sure to keep it away from cold drafts and window panes.

False aralias will also benefit from increased humidity in the form of a wet pebble tray on which it can sit. They have a fairly compact and columnar habit, not growing much wider than their container. Because they seldom branch, false aralias are always sold in closely-packed clumps. When purchasing, choose a pot with as many vigorous shoots as possible. The individual plants tend to lose their lower leaves as they mature, so a higher number of stems will help maintain a fuller appearance.

This is aka dizygotheca elegantissima, also looks a bit like marijuana. We had one on our front porch when some police stopped by and my little white haired mother had a time explaining this was NOT what he thought it was. This is a standard houseplant here, wouldn't be without our Dizzy.