Growing the Shield Aralia
Caring for and Understanding Polyscias Scutellaria
The Shield Aralia is found growing outdoors in a large variety of tropical environments including Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico. It tolerates a variety of conditions and is pest and disease resistant. They make great bonsai and pseudo-bonsai subjects.
Caring for Shield Aralias
Once established, this plant will thrive under all kinds of abuse. The Shield Aralia grows well with little fertilizer, placed in harsh sun, and with a watering schedule that borders on neglect. Overwatering is the most common reason for demise. To avoid this, keep the top inch of soil dry at all times and never allow it to sit in standing water. It tolerates temperatures down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit but grows best between 75 and 90 degrees. The new growth is red, becoming a waxy-green with ripples across the surface of mature leaves.,
When allowed to grow untrained, this aralia will have a mostly vertical appearance and the stem will elongate to the point of bending over. Once a height of three feet is reached staking may be necessary. It is not necessary to harden the stem with air movement, but cutting weak branches will allow for a greater height without needing additional support. This is due to the many vertical shoots it produces. If the plant is exhibiting a “leggy” appearance then increased leaf production can be accomplished simply by increasing the amount of direct sunlight it receives. Too much direct sun can cause a red outline to leaves, but seems to be more of an aesthetic issue than damaging to the health of the plant.
How to Propagate Aralias
With a little patience, cloning aralias can be very successful. The roots are slow to begin and sensitive to rot. A sterile, non-organic medium such as perlite or coarse vermiculite is best for cuttings.
- Poke a series of tiny holes in the bottom of a plastic drinking cup and fill it halfway with the propagating medium.
- Choose a green cutting from a small branch that is between two and four inches long and remove all but the top two leaves.
- Place the cutting into the medium at least halfway down, but do not go all the way to the bottom of the cup. A rooting hormone is unnecessary.
- Water sparingly.
The trick to successfully establishing roots is the amount of moisture in the medium. It should be kept on the dry side and misting or a humidity dome will decrease chances of success. Although the cutting can survive for a while in a medium that has completely dried, attempts should be made to keep it slightly damp. Dry is better than wet. Roots may not show up for a month or more, so do not give up hope unless all the leaves have been lost. New growth will begin after being transplanted into soil.
Using an air layering technique is another method, however due to the length of time it takes to establish roots, this can be extremely labor intensive and has a higher chance of failure.
Shield Aralia and Feng Shui
According to The Practical Encyclopedia of Feng Shui, plants with round, flexible leaves are used to promote calmness. When placed in the bedroom, this aralia contributes to the flow of love energies, bringing them back around to the occupant – much like the symbolism of a wedding ring. In this way, the shield aralia may be a better candidate than the more commonly used jade plant.
Chemical Constituents of Polyscias Scutellaria
According to the CRC Ethnobotany Desk Reference, the shield aralia has been used in Java to combat alopecia, or hair loss. There are also other reports that the natives in Vanuatu use the leaves as an anti-inflammatory medicine.
Sources
Paphassarang, S. A New Oleanolic Glycoside from Polyscias Scutellaria. Journal of Natural Products, Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 163. Jan-Feb 1990
Polyscias scutellaria
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P. scutellaria cutting in perlite
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