Fatsia japonica - Paper Plant
Sprouts of BristolThe Paper Plant is a striking and recognisable houseplant which can sometimes be grown outdoors in coastal or warmer parts of the UK. Here, it is unlikely to reach heights of 6-10ft (2-3m) as it does in its natural habitat, but it can still grow to be quite the statement plant in your home. Its large leaves are split into sections like a hand but with seven or eight fingers instead of the usual five. The glossy green of its leaves catches the eye and with their striking shape makes a great impact as a houseplant. For an easygoing houseplant that copes well in ambient British conditions, why not give this Fatsia a whirl?
Scientific Name
Fatsia japonica (Japanese plant with eight-fronded leaves)
Synonyms: Aralia japonica, Aralia sieboldii, Dimorphanthus japonicus, Echinopanax japonicus, Aralia brownii, Fatsia japonica var. lobulata, Fatsia japonica var. liukiuensis, Aralia sieboldii var. variegata
This plant was originally described as Aralia japonica in 1780, but was reclassified into the new Fatsia genus in 1854.
Common Name
Japanese Aralia, Paper Plant, False Castor Oil Plant, Paperplant, Finger Plant, Glossy Leaf Paper Plant
Origin
The Paper Plant is native to subtropical East Asia, ranging from Korea through Japan to Nansei-shoto
Light
Flexible with light levels, this Fatsia would like to be within a few metres of a window and can adapt to some direct sun but won't like the harshest summer rays. As long as the natural light is bright enough to read a newspaper, it can get enough light.
Water
Water when the top third of the soil has dried out, and remember to reduce watering in the colder months. In a darker location, it will need less watering to avoid root rot; close to a window make sure it gets enough and watch out for crispy leaf edges as a sign of a thirsty plant.
Humidity
Average humidity should be fine for this plant, but if your Fatsia consistently has crispy brown edges to its leaves and is getting enough water in the soil, it may benefit from the introduction of a pebble tray to increase local humidity.
Soil
Use a mix that retains moisture well; components like coir, perlite and bark will ensure this, and adding some sand and zeolite will help it to drain extra water away. A mix designed for Ficus plants will work well here.
Food
Feed every four waters in the growing season, reduce to every six in autumn and winter.
Temperature
This plant is half-hardy, so can stand winter temperatures down to -5°C, however it will grow best above 10°C, making it especially suited to growing indoors. Temperatures between 15-30°C should promote good growth.
Pet-safe
No; this plant is not toxic, but it can cause gastrointestinal upset in, and irritate the mouths of, pets who have had a nibble.
Sprouts Top Tips
Balance your light and water conditions, and keep your watering regular - regular to the rate the soil dries out, that is, rather than the exact number of days between waters. The amount of water your plant will get through depends on how much light it gets; the more light it gets, the sooner it will need more water.
Important Information
If you have any questions, please check out the below or get in touch via our contact formWe're devoted to sending our customers quality plants with the best service around. Every plant is backed by our 7-day guarantee, so they arrive in good health.
Our team takes extra steps when prepping plants for transportation, but they're still sensitive to changes, so there may be minor cosmetic issues. We always aim to photograph and disclose any flaws before shipping, but a living creature travelling across the country in a box can take a hot minute to adjust to its new life.
If you have any issues within 7 days of receiving your order, holler at our customer support team on our contact form with your order details and some pics of the issue. After the guarantee has expired, though, we can't refund as we can't guarantee care and environmental factors. If you repot the plant during the 7 days, the guarantee is void.
We have been sending plants up and down the country for many year now and we like to think we have our way down to an art.
We protect the plant from falling out of the soil with tissue paper and tape if needed, then we wrap the plant in corrugated cardboard, and sometimes we protect the leaves with extra tissue paper if required. This is then placed into a box and if there is any empty space, we fill this with void fill to stop the plants moving around inside the box. Sometimes we will write a note on your packing slip to water the plant on arrival, so please look out for this. This is due a freshly watered plant going in a box will not only be soggy, but as the plant is in darkness this can sometimes make the plant unhappy when just freshly watered.
If your plant arrives to you unhappy, please send us a photo of the plant and packaging if relevant straight away, so we can advise you.
Online orders are packed and dispatched within a few days. Usually depending on volumes, we aim to get your order dispatched within 1 working day. We have collections from Royal Mail 6 days a week so deliveries tend to be speedy.
Our standard parcel delivery service is £4.99 for Royal Mail Tracked48, you can upgrade to Tracked24 for £2.50.
We do offer a Tracked48 Large Letter option for £2.99, and Tracked24 for £1 extra, but this only applies to products less than 2.5cm thick.
*Deliveries 7 days a week only included Tracked24 parcels.
Link to your shipping policy
We get a lot of boxes, packaging and whatnot at Sprouts from all our various supplier's deliveries. We re-use this packaging material where possible, plus we take in donations from local businesses and customers to our shop to avoid excess packaging going to landfill. Sometimes your delivery might look a little different, or come in a branded box from another company, but rest assured the items inside are carefully packed with love and attention inside. We use paper tape and all our branded materials included are fully recyclable. Sometimes we use polystyrene, bubble wrap or plastic wrap in the packaging, all these items are not new and where possible, please use them again.
We have partnered with Zedify to offer low-carbon deliveries in Central Bristol for £6.99.
Zedify collect and deliver orders from us Monday - Friday and will usually deliver your order the same day its collected. If you place your order before 11am, we will aim to get it collected the same day but this isnt always possible. When you have received your dispatch email, Zedify should be delivering your order the same day, anytime before 6pm.
We cannot give an idea of time, but if you would prefer delivery on a certain date (Monday - Friday) please get in touch or leave a note at check out with your preferred delivery date and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Zedify deliver to the following postcodes BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8 (1, 2, 3A - 3N, 4), BS9 (1,3,4).
Select click and collect at checkout to collect your order from our Bristol shop.
You will get an email when your order is ready to collect, where possible please come and collect your order the same day as we have limited space. If you are going to collect your order at a later date, please let us know in the message box at check out so we know when to expect you. Some items such as gift sets, kits and pre-order items may not be ready to collect the same day, again please let us know what day you would like to collect and we will let you know if there's any issues.
We do not offer free returns, but if you are unhappy with your delivery, please get in touch. If your parcel or order has been damaged, please take photos and send these over to our team so we can look into this for you.
If you have ordered an item and you would like to exchange it, we should be able to do this for you. There may be an extra charge for delivery, but get in touch to discuss. For plants there is a 7 day return policy and 30 days for everything else, apart from sale items which are none returnable.
You can return or exchange in our Bristol shop for free.
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