Aralia Plant – Balfour
Polyscias-scutellaria
Dinner Plate Aralia
An Aralia is an evergreen plant native to Africa, Asia, Australia, parts of North and Central America, and South America. The distinct leaves of a Balfour Aralia resemble leathery, round, dinner plates about 1″- 2″ in diameter, which is how the plant got its nickname, the Dinner Plate Aralia. The leaves can range in color from light green to dark green and some varieties have green and cream colored variegated leaves. Aralias are not good houseplants for beginners since they are easy to over- water which results in root rot and leaves falling off. These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants
Aralia Plant
Light
Balfour Aralia plants do best in bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.; but will survive in low lightWhen you select “Low Light” a list of the most adaptive plants in our database appears. These plants can live in lighting conditions too low to support any other plants in our database, but will grow faster in medium and high light. Variegation (color) in the leaves is often lost in low light. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in better light. Place a low-light plant within 2-3 ft. of a window with a northern exposure, 3-5 ft. of a window with an eastern exposure, 4-10 ft. of a window with a western exposure, and 10-18ft. of a window with a southern exposure. A low light area has between 50-150 ft. candles of light. The best low light house plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena Janet Craig, Peace Lily, Heart leaf Philodendron. if you are careful not to over-water.
Water
Aralias have very fine roots and are easily over-watered. Always allow the top 1/2 of the soil in the pot to dry out before watering. During the winter when plants are resting, they need even less water. In low lightWhen you select “Low Light” a list of the most adaptive plants in our database appears. These plants can live in lighting conditions too low to support any other plants in our database, but will grow faster in medium and high light. Variegation (color) in the leaves is often lost in low light. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in better light. Place a low-light plant within 2-3 ft. of a window with a northern exposure, 3-5 ft. of a window with an eastern exposure, 4-10 ft. of a window with a western exposure, and 10-18ft. of a window with a southern exposure. A low light area has between 50-150 ft. candles of light. The best low light house plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena Janet Craig, Peace Lily, Heart leaf Philodendron. situations, Aralias may need water only once a month.
Fertilizer
Feed an Aralia plant every other month with a plant food high in nitrogen. Always dilute the fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
to 1/2 the recommended strength.
Temperature
Balfour Aralias like basic household temperatures between 65-80 degrees.
Humidity
High humidity helps Aralia plants grow better. Dry air, due to low humidity, is one of the reasons Aralias drop leaves.
Flowering
Although Aralia plants don't produce flowers indoors, they can be trained to be a lovely bonsaiLearn how to grow bonsai plants, and which plants make the best bonsai plants at Houseplant411.com plant.
Pests
Aralia plants attract numerous house Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pestss such as mealybugs, scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew., spider mitesLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them., and AphidsSee a picture, learn to identify, and read about Aphid houseplant pests in the Glossary of Houseplant411.com.. Spraying the plant with a biodegradable soap and water mixture on a regular basis helps prevent Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pests infestations.
Diseases
Root-rot, caused by over-watering, is the main plant disease affecting Aralia plants.
Soil
Aralias need a peat-based, well-aerated, light soil. This type of quick draining potting medium prevents water from accumulating in the soil and causing the roots to disintegrate.
Pot Size
Keep Aralia plants in small pots so the soil dries out quickly.
Pruning
Prune the tips of an Aralia to keep the plant full.
Propagation
Aralia Plants are propagated by Stem CuttingsLearn how to propagate plants using stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, cane cuttings, and branch cuttings. or, if the stems are thick enough, air layeringLearn how to use Air Layering to propagate houseplants.. Propagating Aralias is more successful when temperatures are above 70°.
Poisonous Plant Info
Aralia plants are Poisonous HouseplantsIn her new book, Don’t Feed Me to Your Cat!, plant care professional Judy Feldstein shares information about twenty-five common houseplants, each with various levels of toxicity, and the possible consequences if your pet or child snacks on them. with a levelThese are general guidelines that describe how poisonous certain houseplants are. It's possible for an allergic reaction to occur from contact with any houseplant, toxic or non-toxic. If there is ever a concern, call: Poison Control Center: ******1-800-222-1222******
Level #1: Houseplants with low toxicity, may be mildly irritating, especially the sap of the plant.
Level#2: Houseplants with medium to severe toxicity. Eating parts of these houseplants may result in vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties.
Level #3: These houseplants are very poisonous. When eaten, especially in large quantities, severe vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties can occur.
Level #4: These houseplants are extremely poisonous. Eating parts of these houseplants can be be life threatening.
Every plant listed in our Popular HousePlant guide has a section explaining whether or not it is poisonous and, if so, how poisonous. Amaryllis, alocasia, dieffenbachias, crotons, ivies, azaleas, lilies, and philodendrons are just a few of the highly poisonous plants we use in our homes and offices all of the time. If you don't know whether your houseplant is poisonous, go to Ask Judy on the HousePlant411.com website, send her a picture of your plant, and she'll let you know if the houseplant should be kept away from small children and pets.
See colorful pictures and get more information about poisonous houseplants in
Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants
#2 toxicity. All parts contain saponins which cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
How do I know when to re-pot my Balfour Aralia?
Balfour Aralias like to be in small pots since that allows the fine roots to dry out quickly and not develop root rot. Re-pot an Aralia Plant only when the roots of the plant have filled the existing pot.
We keep our Balfour Aralia in our sun room and it was doing beautifully. Why did our Aralia Plant suddenly start to drop leaves in December?
Aralia Plants are very sensitive to cold temperatures. If the temperature goes much below 60 degrees, an Aralia Plant will start dropping leaves.
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