Metapanax davidii - Palm Leaved Aralia

Metapanax davidii is a cousin of Ivy and Japanese Aralias, but much less known than these common plants. It is relatively hardy, excellent for adding a touch of exoticism to a flower bed. Its dark green evergreen foliage is decorative all year round, and surprising with its varied leaf shapes. When mature, it blooms in summer with large white panicles, which then develop into small black fruits. Preferring partial shade, it grows quite slowly in most moist, well-draining soils, reaching a height of about 3m.

Metapanax belongs to the family of Araliaceae, which includes many genera with decorative foliage. The "panax" group is particularly distinguished by its leaf blades: compound in Acanthopanax sieboldii, palmate and imposing in Oplopanax horridus, the record is held by Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Rex' with leaves as large as umbrellas! As for Panax, it is a well-known perennial commonly known as ginseng... We could also mention Oreopanax, which resembles the famous Schefflera, another member of the Araliaceae family, as these different plants share a family resemblance.
Metapanax, on the other hand, is native to eastern Asia, with a wide natural habitat range from northern China to southern Vietnam. Thriving in humid climates, it grows up to altitudes of 3000m in the subtropical Yunnan province. It can develop as a shrub or as a small tree reaching about ten metres in height. In our climates, it usually reaches a height of 2.50m or 3m with a spread of 1.80m to 2m. It is slow-growing and gradually forms a dense shrub, with an irregular habit in its early years that evolves into a more or less dome-shaped habit over time, reminiscent of some tree-like Ivies, from the same family.

With its dark green evergreen foliage, Metapanax is highly ornamental. Interestingly, several types of leaves coexist on the same plant. Some are simple, elongated, and toothed on the edges, carried by a long flexible petiole that gives flexibility to the foliage. Others are trilobed, with the central lobe longer than the two lobes on each side. Some are even completely palmate, with three or more leaflets. The petioles are arranged 360° around the stem, giving the plant a very distinctive and bushy appearance. Mature plants flower in July-August, producing long panicles measuring 15 to 20cm, composed of numerous slightly fragrant white flowers that stand out against the glossy foliage. They then develop into small, decorative black fruits.

Except in the most severe climates, this Metapanax will allow all tropical plant lovers to create a little corner of paradise in their garden. This shrub can be associated with other plants that evoke distant lands. You can plant Hedychium densiflorum Assam Orange with it, a surprising ornamental ginger with large green leaves and long spikes of orange flowers that have a fiercely exotic look. Belonging to the same family as Metapanax but much more widespread, Fatsia japonica always makes an impression with its large palmate leaves. Schefflera taiwaniana is another "tropical" type of shrub with its large palmate leaves and umbrella-shaped habit. And to really push the tropical vibe, nothing beats a hardy banana tree like Musa basjoo Sakhalin with its huge sturdy leaves.