Care of Aralia Balfouriana Plant
Aralia balfouriana is a distinctive indoor plant that can grow 3 to 4 feet tall at maturity. Depending on the variety, the big, crinkly leaves may be either glossy dark green, green mottled with pale yellow blotches, or green edged in creamy white. Aralia balfouriana, often called dinnerplate aralia because of its perfectly round leaves, needs only a moderate level of care in order to thrive.
Place your aralia balfouriana in indirect but bright light such as a position 3 to 4 feet from a sunny window or near a window covered with a sheer curtain. If light conditions are too low, place the plant under a grow light for six to eight hours per day.
Keep your aralia balfouriana in a warm room with temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and about 10 degrees cooler at night. Don't allow the temperature to fall below 65 degrees F.
- Aralia balfouriana is a distinctive indoor plant that can grow 3 to 4 feet tall at maturity.
- Place your aralia balfouriana in indirect but bright light such as a position 3 to 4 feet from a sunny window or near a window covered with a sheer curtain.
Place your aralia balfouriana on a tray or saucer filled with wet pebbles to increase humidity around the plant. Keep the pebbles wet at all times, but don't allow the water to touch the bottom of the container. Never allow the container to stand in water.
Water your aralia balfouriana deeply and allow the water to drain freely through the drainage hole in the bottom of the container. Allow the soil to become slightly dry before watering again.
Fertilize your aralia balfouriana every three weeks during spring and summer, using a high-quality liquid fertilizer for indoor plants. Follow the manufacturer's directions for application. Fertilize the plant once monthly during fall and winter, with fertilizer diluted to half-strength.
- Place your aralia balfouriana on a tray or saucer filled with wet pebbles to increase humidity around the plant.
Care For An Aralia Plant
Aralias, with their striking glossy green leaves, make elegant houseplants. Plants grown indoors include Japanese aralia, Ming aralia, Balfour aralia and False aralia. The leaves of the aralia can be lobed, fringed or whole, and the plant itself has a thick, woody trunk. Most plant problems arise from the wrong type of care. Place most aralias where they receive medium to high light. Japanese aralias particularly need high light. Water your aralia when the soil becomes dry, adding enough liquid to saturate the soil. Notice if your plant loses leaves: this means there's something wrong. Remove mealybugs by placing the aralia in your shower and blasting the plant with water, or by rubbing the leaves with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. Fertilize your plant each spring using slow-release houseplant fertilizer.
- Aralias, with their striking glossy green leaves, make elegant houseplants.
- Remove mealybugs by placing the aralia in your shower and blasting the plant with water, or by rubbing the leaves with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Related Articles
References
- University of Nebraska: Great Indoor Plants
- Bachman's: Aralias
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Home Selection and Care of Interior Foliage Plants
- University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension: Great Indoor Plants
- University of Kentucky Extension: Large Plants for Home and Offices
- Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management Program: Mealybugs
Writer Bio
M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.
