Ming Aralia Plant Care Guide

Difficulty Level: Modest

What is the Ming Aralia Plant?

This gorgeous and exotic plant is technically an evergreen shrub. Ming Aralia is native to the tropical climates of Indonesia and India, but can easily live a happy and healthy life in your home or place of business. This plant requires a bit more effort than your average houseplant, but you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your efforts with bright green foliage that is gentle, fluffy, and stunningly beautiful.

There is a lot to love about Ming Aralia, but one of the attributes that really makes it stand out is its unique foliage. Its leaves are often likened to feathers or the foliage of a fern. The graceful, thin branches of Ming Aralia grow straight up and create a complex layering of foliage that makes this plant especially visually stunning.

Ming Aralia plant care is not particularly difficult, but it does require your attention and an understanding of its needs. We know that you want to care for your plants properly and we’re happy to help!

Light Care

Ming Aralia thrives in bright, but indirect sunlight. This plant can also handle shade quite well, so you don’t need to obsess over positioning it perfectly. That being said, we do recommend avoiding leaving your Ming Aralia in direct sunlight, especially during the hasher hours of the afternoon sun. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can scorch this plant’s delicate foliage and leave it looking damaged and unhealthy.

This plant is quite resilient to various light settings. It will grow faster in bright, indirect sunlight, but also does impressively well in low-light settings. One thing this plant hates is transitioning between light settings. If you move Ming Aralia from one light setting to another, it might experience shock. Without careful aftercare, shock can kill a plant. So, if you need to change from one light setting to another, make sure to transition this plant gradually.

Water Care

This plant requires weekly watering. Ming Aralia plants like to be kept moist, but it is important that you do not completely saturate the plant. Too much water can drown the plant or cause a number of different problems including root rot.

A good rule of thumb is to let the top 2 inches of soil dry out completely before watering. This usually takes about a week, but can vary depending on the season. In the hot summer months, you might find that you need to lightly water between hearty weekly watering sessions. In the cooler months, you may find that the top 2 inches of soil take 8-10 days to dry out.

In general, remember to water this plant once weekly and lightly spray its foliage with a mister. Like with any plant, use your best judgement and always check the top layer of soil to gauge moisture.

Food Guide

Ming Aralia doesn’t require much in regards to food. You only need to provide this resilient plant with light fertilization each season. We recommend fertilizing in the middle of summer, the beginning of fall, and at any point during spring. A diluted mixture of water-soluble fertilizers works great for these plants. If fertilizing three times per year sounds like too much of a chore to you, you can use a slow-release fertilizer once a year in the middle of spring.

Aralia plant care is pretty forgiving and though fertilization isn’t something you need to worry about on a monthly basis, we highly recommend keeping an eye on your plant. This way you know if it needs a little extra care. If the leaves aren’t a vibrant or green as they normally are, it might be time to consider adding some nutrients to the soil.

Staff Holy Grail Tip:

One of the most important things to keep in mind when growing Ming Aralia is that these plants are prone to root rot. Though they require regular weekly watering, they do not like to be over-saturated with water. It is essential that you let the top 2 inches of soil completely dry out before continuing your watering cycle. This will help your plant thrive and grow to its full potential. Proper watering cycles are important for all plants, but they become absolutely essential when dealing with plants that are prone to root rot.

Remember; pay attention to watering cycles and the moisture content of its soil, and your Ming Aralia plant will live a long, happy, and healthy life.

- Sara

FAQ

Is the Ming Aralia toxic?

This plant is indeed beautiful, but it is also toxic. If consumed, this plant can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal irritation. This is especially true if the leaves are consumed, though all parts of this plant are toxic. Ming Aralia is toxic to both humans and pets. This plant can cause mild discomfort in humans, but it can cause serious problems in Pets. If your cat or dog consumes any part of this plant, they should be taken to the vet for inspection. Though this plant is undoubtedly beautiful, we recommend keeping it away from children or pets.

What’s the ideal temperature?

Ming Aralia is fairly resilient to higher temperatures but thrives between 65-85 degrees fahrenheit. These plants have been known to survive temperatures up to 100 degrees fahrenheit for short periods of time, but can easily become scorched by direct sunlight. Temperatures below 60 degrees fahrenheit can kill these plants. Luckily, 65-85 degrees is quite a comfortable temperature for humans and many people keep their homes and offices somewhere around this temperature range. This makes for an ideal environment for both you and your plant, so you don’t have to worry about accommodation. If the temperature is comfortable for you, it’s probably comfortable for your Ming Aralia as well.

What’s the ideal humidity level?

This plant is native to tropical environments and thrives with a humidity level around 50%. This doesn’t mean you need to keep it in a particularly humid environment, but you should provide this plant with weekly mistings. If you find that your Aralia plant is drying out moe rapidly than normal, simply increase the amount of misting you provide. During the hotter, drier months of the year, you might find that Aralia plants need to be misted up to 3 times per week. Just remember, these are susceptible to root rot, so never over saturate the plant with water.

Does it purify the air?

Good looks aren’t the only thing this plant has going for it! Ming Aralia is also a powerful air purifier that is capable of removing formaldehyde, toluene, carbon dioxide, and large amounts of Anion. If you’re looking for a plant that looks great and serves an important purpose, Aralia plants are a fantastic choice!