The Aralia: Beautiful Contrast for Any Environment

As interiorscapers, we are self-proclaimed plant lovers. One of my favorite plants right now is the Aralia plant. With their beautiful and delicate foliage and small size, they are a great addition to any home or office. 

Aralias are part of the Araliaceae family, whose most famous member is the ginseng plant. Aralia may not aid your memory but it will add beauty to any environment. It is a multi-stemmed plant that helps to add a look of fullness to any planting. With their easy growth habit and relatively small size to start, they have been a popular indoor plant for more than a century.

Aralias are available in a range of sizes. A tidy 6” or 8” pot brightens up desk space while larger specimens can reach 4’ to 8’. With their finely cut, divided leaves, they offer textural contrast against more broadleaf plants such as palms, rubber plants, or elephant ears. Placed in the right decorative container, aralia can be an art piece unto itself. And that empty corner of the office is begging for a tree-sized aralia for color and formality. 

There’s a huge variety of aralias available from your local plant center. Here are three of my favorites. 

Most Spectacular Aralia Varietals

Ming- Bearing more feathery foliage than many of its cousins, Ming Aralia is a stately small tree perfect for adding elegance to any interior space. It’s probably the most romantic-looking plant in all the species. It’s soft and classy leading itself to a stately one-of-a-kind plant.

False-Also known as spider aralia or threadleaf aralia, it is grown for its attractive foliage. The long, narrow, dark green leaves with saw-tooth edges are coppery colored at first, but as they mature they turn dark green, appearing almost black on some plants. False is another stately one-of-a-kind plant that will make a statement in any interior.

Fabian-Fabian Aralia shows off scalloped, dark green leaves. It grows upright and eventually develops a woody trunk. It’s a gorgeous tree and one of our favorites to use in interiorscaping. It’s a little hardier than all the others with its wide leaves. Many architects and designers like this tree because of its large leaves. 

Fabian-Fabian Aralia shows off scalloped, dark green leaves. It grows upright and eventually develops a woody trunk. It’s a gorgeous tree and one of our favorites to use in interiorscaping. It’s a little hardier than all the others with its wide leaves. Many architects and designers like this tree because of its large leaves. 

Care Tips

Grow aralias in medium to bright light. They tolerate medium light but will grow faster and lusher in a bright spot. They cannot be put in a dark area. Put your aralia by a window and it will be very happy and flourish.

Water aralias just enough to keep them from wilting. It’s best to water this regimented plant once a week thoroughly. It does not like to dry out, and if it does, it will show you wilted yellow stems. If this occurs, give it a healthy drink.

Aralias benefit from being repotted every couple of years; spring and summer are the best times, but you can repot an aralia any time of the year without harming this houseplant. When repotting, look for a container that’s only a couple of inches wider than the previous pot, and be sure it has adequate drainage. 

So try one of these out in your environment. In addition to being gorgeous, it’s a natural air purifier, so you can breathe a little easier. Remember to purchase from a reputable garden shop or your interiorscaper. Drop us a line, and we’ll be happy to help!

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1751 McGaw Ave
Irvine, CA 92614
Phone: (949) 486-1495
Toll-Free: 800-PLANT13
Fax: (949) 486-1499

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