Brassaiopsis mitis Artic Jungle - Philippine umbrella plant

Brassaiopsis mitis 'Arctic Jungle', also called the Cut-leaved False Aralia, is a tropical shrub prized for its immense palmate leaves, reminiscent of those of a giant fig or an architectural aralia. It forms an erect, even slightly slender silhouette, punctuated by deeply cut leaves that give it a unique sculptural presence. Ideal for exotic-themed gardens or shady to partially shaded spots, it can be grown in the ground in mild regions or in a large pot to be protected in winter elsewhere. This original plant, with an almost prehistoric appearance, requires a humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, sheltered from dry winds and prolonged frost.

Brassaiopsis mitis, a species of the family Araliaceae, was described in 1879 and has several synonyms, such as Euaraliopsis mitis and Pseudobrassaiopsis mitis. Native to the moist, shaded forests of the Himalayan foothills: Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and northern India, generally between 1 830 and 2 350m altitude, this species thrives in a cool, misty environment. The horticultural form available in Europe, often called Arctic Jungle, corresponds to the selection 'CHB&CM08SIK87' collected in 2008 in Sikkim by Christian Monnet and Charles Boulanger, reported as hardy to −18 °C in the Jardin Jungle in Normandy. This form is distinguished by its greyish juvenile leaves that become broad and cut. It has an erect habit with one or several light grey trunks covered in short prickles or thorns, supporting a dense crown of palmate leaves. Growth is slow to moderate, requiring several years to reach its adult size. In the ground, it can reach between 4 and 7 m in height (usually 3 to 5 m) with a spread of 2.5 to 4 m. The foliage is evergreen (semi-evergreen in cold climates), composed of palmatilobate leaves with 7–11 deep lobes, reaching 50 to 80 cm in diameter, dark green above and lighter underneath, hairy on the underside. The petiole can measure up to 60 cm. The insignificant flowers appear in late summer, around August-September, in the form of panicles of small cream or greenish flowers, followed by globose blue-black fruits 5 to 6 mm in diameter. The stems become woody with age and retain their prickly texture, forming a clean vertical structure. The root system consists of a relatively limited taproot, associated with a superficial network of roots, not producing any suckering offshoots. The cultivar CHB&CM08SIK87, introduced in France, is, according to the experience of the Jardin Jungle in Normandy, capable of surviving cold down to −18 °C, although most of the leaves drop as early as −2 °C and the stems freeze at around −8 to −12 °C.

In a shade or partial shade garden, Brassaiopsis mitis ‘Arctic Jungle’ raises its cut leaves like an ancient plant motif, both rigid and flexible, almost unreal. This plant imposes a sculptural rhythm that can be counterbalanced with more diffuse foliage, such as that of Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’, or the coppery highlights of Fatsia japonica ‘Spider’s Web’. In the understorey, the textured foliage of Polystichum setiferum or the dark depth of Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ add relief and depth. In a pot on a shaded terrace, it becomes a showpiece in a plain container. Placed like this, the plant evokes a Japanese-style shade garden, both ordered and mysterious.