Polyscias guilfoylei

RHS Plant Profile

wild coffee

Other common names

coffee tree, geranium aralia, geranium-leaf aralia

Synonyms

Aralia guilfoylei

Houseplants

A tender, evergreen shrub with pinnate leaves composed of rounded, irregularly-margined, glossy dark green leaflets. Grow in a warm conservatory or as a houseplant

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H1A

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Araliaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Polyscias are evergreen shrubs and small trees with simple, pinnate or palmately dissected leaves; small greenish flowers are borne in umbels aggregated into panicles, and may be followed by small black berries
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: E Malesia, W Pacific

How to Grow

Cultivation

Under glass grow in peat-free, loam-based potting compost in full or bright, filtered light. In growth, water freely, mist daily and apply a balanced liquid feed every month. Water sparingly in winter

Propagation

Propagate by seed; take greenwood cuttings in early summer, or root leafless stem sections with bottom heat in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Houseplants
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

See pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and mealybugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free