Fatsia japonica

This well-known evergreen shrub from Japan is a familiar friend for a shady spot. Let’s say shrub-to-small-tree, reaching 15 ft tall and around the same wide in 15 years. It has great big lobed leaves with a high-gloss shine on them that give the plant a deeply exotic appearance, and its form can be very varied. We like to encourage a sturdy single trunk with a parasol of enthusiastic foliage billowing out the top: this makes it look a bit like a Papaya and has the sort of silhouette non-gardeny types will insist is like a ‘palm tree’. They’re not wildly wrong. There’s plenty of opportunities for Creative Maintenance with a Fatsia because they can be hacked at and controlled quite firmly and they dont mind at all. Leggy ones can be cropped right back to encourage fresh new growth and a fuller, broader form and with a little patience you can even get a good multi-stem specimen off the ground. These look tremendous underplanted with Liriope, ferns and the like.

Performs particularly well on heavy clay of any pH but don’t fret over your soil as it will manage pretty well on anything. Nutritious ground equals bigger, glossier and lusher leaves though. Gets a bit confused about when to grow: a mild autumn will have it pumping out new foliage like billy-o, and this can get snapped at by a sudden frost, going limp and yukky. Trim it back a bit and don’t panic: they always bounce back.

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A plant lovers dream…
It is an absolutely wonderful treasure trove for any plant lover and we will be back (frequently!) The plants are all in superb condition, with an enormous variety to choose from. The staff are very professional and knowledgable, but also friendly and helpful.