Ming Aralia
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Ming Tree.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. NC State Extension publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
Sources file this plant under other names: Polyscias fruticosa 'Elegans'. Citations below point at the name its source uses.
The sources disagree about light for this plant. Both readings are shown in the table below. This is the norm in houseplant advice rather than the exception.
- Light
The sources disagree. These do not describe the same conditions: Clemson Extension says "High light" and NC State Extension says "Partial Shade". Both are shown; this site does not pick between them.
High light 150 fcClemson Extension · read 13 September 2026Partial ShadeNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Water
- Good Drainage, MoistNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam (Silt), Sand; pH Acid (<6.0)NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No record of poisoning in people is listed for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Water once the soil is dry 2 inches down.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Leaf cuttings, seed, stem cuttingsNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Polyscias fruticosa, or Ming aralia, is a perennial dicot evergreen shrub or dwarf tree in the ivy family Araliaceae, found in tropical and subtropical regions. The plant grows fairly slowly, up to 3–5 metres (9.8–16.4 ft) in height. The leaves are tripinnate, with a glossy surface. Ming aralia is commonly grown as an ornamental and a potherb, valued for its culinary and medicinal uses.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- as a cultigen from C. Malesia to SW. PacificWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Central Malesia to Southwest PacificNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- shrub or treeWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Shrub, Tree; habit erect, spreadingNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 72–96 in; width 24–36 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow, white; blooms in fall, spring, summer, winterNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Herbal medicine uses it. Young shoots and leaves are cooked as a vegetable or used for flavoring.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Other Polyscias
More of the Araliaceae family
English ivyCrisp margins that appear in winter
Dwarf umbrella treeA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
False AraliaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
FatsiaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Hedera colchicaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
ScheffleraSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Clemson Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.