Fatsia polycarpa Green Fingers

The Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers', with its large deeply lobed and dentate leaves, is undoubtedly one of the most decorative of this genus composed of large Asian plants with a very exotic appearance. When it occurs, at the end of the season, the flowering takes the form of light panicles of creamy white flowers, followed by small black fruits. More hardy than its Taiwanese origins might suggest, this magnificent bush is able to survive temperatures as low as -10°C (14 °F) at a minimum, in a sheltered position. Superb in a bed in a cool and semi-shaded spot in the garden, this fatsia also thrives in a pot on a terrace, and can also be used as an indoor plant.

The Fatsia polycarpa is a shrub plant of the araliaceae family, related to the much better known Fatsia japonica and Aralias, as well as to our humble ivy. This botanical species is endemic to the island of Taiwan. It is a fairly polymorphic plant, which can have variable and more or less decorative foliage depending on the individuals. It is a shade or semi-shade species requiring a rich, moist, light but fertile soil, with a tendency towards acidity.

The 'Green Fingers' cultivar was recently selected in Taiwan for its leaves divided into particularly thin and deep segments. This plant develops spirally arranged stems from its stem, forming a bush about 2m (6 ft 7 in) high and 1.20m (3 ft 11 in) wide at its peak. The stems, with few branches, bear numerous large leaves measuring 15 to 30 cm (5.9 to 11.8 in) in all directions, with a long petiole. The highly perforated leaf blade is deeply divided into 9 to 13 tapered and irregularly toothed lobes. Fairly tough in texture, this foliage is a bright green color, slightly satin-like. Each leaf, evergreen in winter, lives for about a year on the plant, then turns yellow before falling in summer. Flowering occurs from October to December depending on the climate. Cream-colored inflorescences in the form of pyramidal corymbs form at the end of the floral stems, consisting of numerous tiny flowers assembled in globular clusters, similar to small off-white pompoms. After pollination by insects, the flowers transform into small black berries.

This Fatsia, whose hardiness limits are not yet fully known, is a highly ornamental, intensely exotic bush that should be protected from strong winds and intense sunlight to preserve its beauty. Once established, it is superb as a solitary plant in a lawn or in a group to form a bouquet. It is also interesting in association with trees and shrubs that, like it, appreciate cool environments, such as Japanese maples, Fargesia bamboo, Pieris, or large ferns. Growing it in a container will allow gardeners in colder regions to shelter it in a lightly heated conservatory or in a cool and bright room.