How to care for a Fatsia Japonica | Paper Plant

As its Latin name gives away, the Fatsia Japonica comes from Japan. It also goes by the name of Japanese Fatsia, and it is popular in the Southeast due to its tolerance to cold.

The Fatsia is a good air purifier. It helps to reduce formaldehyde in places with materials such as carpeting, curtains, and plywood, which can cause or aggravate allergies.

The Fatsia plant can be toxic to pets and dogs when ingested. See a vet when your pet eats the leaves or stem.

Water it regularly during the growing season, and cut it back a little bit in Winter. Make sure the drainage is good to prevent root rot (see Common diseases section).

The Fatsia thrives best in the shade, either full or partial. Put it in some place where it isn't facing the sun.

Use liquid fertilizer diluted to half the recommended strength every other week during the growing season. In the winter, reduce the dosage to once a month.

You can repot your Fatsia every year, moving it up one pot size. Cut it when you repot to boost its growth; the next year, you can choose to either repot it or prune it more aggressively.

For a completely new season, cut the leaves entirely when it's near the end of winter and the Fatsia will grow new, good-loking ones. Feel free to also remove any stems that reach far beyond the plant pot.

The Fatsia can suffer from aphids, mealybugs, scale, and thrips. Horticultural oil sprays will get your plant get rid of all of these. If your plant has spider mites, it might be too dry or in a too sunny place; root rot, on the other hand, is usually a symptom of poor drainage and/or over watering.