About
Flowering panicles are up to 30cm long, and made up of tiny rounded clusters of greenish-white flowers, sometimes followed by round green berries that ripen to near black. A tender evergreen tree, sometimes partly epiphytic in its native tropical cloud forests, often around 5-7m high in cultivation. It has a dense bushy habit and glossy, oval to rounded leaves up to 30cm long, often with wavy margins.
About the genus
A genus of mainly evergreen, tropical shrubs and trees native to Central and South America, with variable, palmate, lobed, or radially compound leaves. Panicles of tiny, pale, cream white or greenish-white flowers are followed by dark berries
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeLoam
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectEast-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH2
Plant details
Plant typeTrees
HabitBushy
FoliageEvergreen
Height4-8 metres
Spread4-8 metres
Time to full height20-50 years
Suggested usesSub-tropical
Care notes
CultivationMay be grown outdoors in a sheltered, frost-free area; otherwise grow under glass in a free-draining, peat-free, loam-based compost, with protection from midday sun that can bleach the leaves. Often grown for ornamental foliage as it lasts well when cut
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by seed or by semi-ripe cuttings
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to fungal leaf spots