• Image of Fatsia japonica 'Variegata'
  • Image of Fatsia japonica 'Variegata'taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by JLBG
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Fatsia japonica 'Variegata'

Variegated Japanese Aralia

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

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Item #: 5618

Zones: 7b to 10b

Dormancy: Evergreen

Height: 84" tall

Culture: Sun to Light Shade

Origin: Japan

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


After 15 years of fruitless searching, the late JC Raulston managed to locate Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' on a trip to the UK. After JC shared a rooted cutting with us, we dared to plant our new-found treasure outdoors for hardiness testing. Surprisingly, it proved to be dramatically more winter hardy than the common green form. The 7' tall x 7' wide (at 10 years) clump is composed of upright woody stems topped with large, tropical-looking, evergreen leaves edged with an uneven white border. In the garden, Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' makes a stunning, bold textural centerpiece for year-round interest. In late October/early November the clumps are topped by fascinating floral sprays of white flowers. From Zone 7a and north...what a nice houseplant!

Maintenance:

Japanese fatsia is a low maintenance shrub, suited for outdoor gardens from Zone 7b and south, where it forms an informal shrub to approximately 7' in both height and width. It needs virtually no maintenance if planted with the proper initial spacing.

As an evergreen, it does shed leaves, but just not all at the same time. Fatsia will go through a late spring leaf drop of the older foliage after the new leaves have emerged.Flowering typically takes place in October and November, followed by clusters of black fruit if the winter temperatures are mild enough.

Japanese fatsia is a woodland plant, but in gardens it thrives both in shaded conditions as well as in half day sun. We have found a significant difference in winter hardiness of seed-grown plants, so strongly recommend sticking with selected, clonally-propagated selections as opposed to cheaper seed-grown plant, although these may be fine if you are growing it as a house plant.

Fatsia japonica does make a good, albeit large house plant. Grown indoors, spider mites are usually the worst pest you will encounter.