Polyscias sambucifolia

Polyscias sambucifolia, also know as Elderberry Panax, is a beautiful evergreen shrub from Australia that is still rare in cultivation but deserves to be discovered. It forms a wide and bushy mass of green-grey foliage, that is more or less finely cut, and produces an abundance of greenish flowers in panicles, and then small edible fruits which are almost translucent and a bluish-purple in colour. Not very hardy (-8°C), this plant can be grown in the ground in milder regions, or in a large pot to be overwintered in harsher climates.

Polyscias sambucifolia belongs to the Araliaceae family, it is a relative of Aralia and Pseudopanax. It is a species found in the southern part of eastern Australia, where there is a mild and more or less humid oceanic climate. The appearance of this shrub can vary depending on its habitat, the sambucifolia species has recently been divided into three subspecies (sambucifolia, decomposita, and leptophylla) characterised by its growth and finely cut foliage. In nature, this shrub is often found on the edge of woodland.

The Elderberry Panax, is fast-growing, and can reach 3.50 m (11ft) in height and 2.50 m (8ft) in width in the ground, or even more in favourable conditions. Its dimensions will be more modest when grown in a pot.  The trunk is straight, covered with dark brown to black bark, marked with small blister and ridges. Its habit is both spreading and erect, with dense and branched vegetation from the base of the trunk. Some plants produce suckers, especially the high-altitude subspecies, accentuating the bushy appearance of the plant. The foliage persists in winter. It consists of pinnate leaves measuring 5 to 30 cm (2 to 12in) long, with up to 5 pairs of leaflets. These leaflets, which are ovoid to broadly elliptical in shape, measure 9 to 20 cm (4 to 8in) long and 3 to 17 mm (1in) wide. Their colour is a more or less greyish green-blue. Flowering takes place between May and July in our climate (from November to February in Australia). The flowers, although appearing in large clusters, are pale green and insignificant. However, once pollinated, they give rise to small decorative and edible berries, 4 mm (1in) in diameter, with a very soft bluish-purple colour that becomes translucent when ripe. These fruits are edible.

It is a beautiful shrub that prefers the coastal region of our country and partial shade. It adapts to well-drained moist, and not too dry, soils, which aren't too sandy. Its decorative foliage deserves to be protected from strong winds to preserve its beauty. Once established, it is superb as a specimen plant or in a group. Polyscias sambucifolia is also interesting in association with exotic bushes that, like itself, appreciate moist to wet soils, such as Fargesia bamboos, Aaralias, and elderberries, for example. It can also be grown in a container or a large pot, to be overwintered like a citrus tree.