A sill above your kitchen sink might be perfect for a smaller plant. This can be prevented with warmth-possibly including a bottom heater-and plenty of warm humidity. If the plant is subject to cold or dry air, it will begin to drop leaf stems and quickly be completely denuded. The biggest challenge with a Ming aralia is keeping it fully clothed in leaves throughout the cold, dry winter months. They don't object to being slightly pot-bound, but you should refresh or top dress the soil annually. A mature Ming aralia can reach 6 feet or higher in optimal conditions, so repot it less often if you want to keep the plant smaller. Repot annually as needed, or every other year. Even then, expect a slightly higher failure rate than some easier houseplants. Take the cuttings in spring, when you can provide them with plenty of warmth and moisture.
![ming aralia ming aralia](https://www.thespruce.com/thmb/qZ8WKArLAQF0g2cCrSdoFXaWuMc=/2129x1597/smart/filters:no_upscale()/grow-polyscias-fruticosa-1902765-3-d30bf1def0cb44679913d3ea3d4e2895.jpg)
Take green-stem cuttings and use a rooting hormone for best success.
![ming aralia ming aralia](https://casasflowers.imgix.net/images/itemVariation/MINGARALIA-200331120309.jpg)
The Ming aralia can be propagated through cuttings. Use liquid fertilizer throughout the growing period, or pellets in the spring. This plant likes it warm, between 55 F and 60 F in the winter. High humidity is essential, so provide plenty of humidity year-round. Keep the plant moist in growing season, and cut back to watering every other week in the winter. The Ming aralia likes bright, indirect light. Use these guidelines to care for your Ming aralia:
![ming aralia ming aralia](https://www.watsons.com/media/catalog/product/cache/b887ae02fe2bb486fc517e90e851e1b4/h/t/httpss3.us-east-2.amazonaws.comwatsons-cincinnatihome_decorplants503156_dandwsilks_artificial_ming_aralia_tree_in_a_square_metal_planter_8_foot_white.jpg)
You can also use this plant for bonsai if you want an exotic miniature. A Ming aralia grows slowly but can reach over 6 feet in height. Its ferny, feathery foliage droops from graceful narrow branches that grow straight up in mature plants to form a many-layered, complex plant. True, it is a tad temperamental but no less so than other popular houseplants, and it's such a singular, exotic plant that it's well worth growing.Īlthough all the polyscias are Asian in appearance, none is as much as the Ming aralia. The Ming aralia (Polyscias fruticosa) is one of those plants that was once popular but has since fallen from favor.