Japanese aralia propagation

Use a healthy semi-ripe stem, or sow seed from ripe dark berries. The steps differ for cuttings and seed.

Plant coveredFatsia japonicaJapanese aralia · indoor and outdoor

Choose a viable cutting, division, offset or seed

What plant material to use

Use healthy semi-ripe current-season stems for cuttings, or ripe dark berries for seed. RHS describes Fatsia cuttings of about 20 cm and a seed route after flowering.

Follow the method for this plant

How to propagate this plant

  1. RHS calls semi-ripe stem cuttings the quickest and easiest Fatsia method. Seed is an alternative that uses ripe berries and a warm propagator.
  2. Root about 20 cm cuttings in peat-free compost at about 15–20°C. Sow seed lightly in peat-free compost around 20°C, out of direct sun, and keep it damp but not soggy.
  3. Select a healthy current-season shoot with a firm base and softer tip, prepare the cutting, and place it in compost. For seed, soften ripe berries in water, crush out the seeds, sow them lightly, and use a heated propagator out of direct sun.

Check visible progress before moving the plant

Signs of roots or failure

For seed, RHS reports germination in roughly two to eight weeks and recommends potting seedlings on when they are about 7 cm tall. No comparable visible root-readiness cue is established for cuttings.

Soggy compost, direct sun during propagation, unhealthy material, or a cutting that remains without roots should prompt a recheck of compost, light, and cutting material. RHS gives no species-specific failure threshold.

Transfer the plant after roots have formed

Aftercare and hygiene

Sources