Tetrapanax papyrifer Empress (Fatsia papyrifera,Chinese rice-paper plant)

I bought my Tetrapanex from Sunk Island Garden Centre 2 months ago and it has grown tremendously already! I love the fine hairy texture of the upright stems, the shape of the emergence of a new leaf & the coppery tones the fines hairs give to colour & texture the younger leaves. But one thing that really takes some beating, is laying under a humongous leaf, looking upwards towards the sky & seeing the vein structure of those gigantic palmate lobed leaves.

This variety is Empress; it is regarded as more difficult to propagate than the common variety Rex. Other varieties are: Steroidal Giant, May Fang & Di Sue Shan. They have the same basic characteristics of a Tetrapanex papyrifera but differ in leaf size, how much the leaves lobe, how hairy they are & how aggressively they sucker.

As Tetrapanax are suckering, I grow mine in a large tub, to be fair I grow most of my tropical in large tubs on gravel, I find this works well, I am more able to cater for their preferred drainage conditions (hardly any holes in a Gunnera tub - like a bog - not longer able to buy as on invasive list; a few more holes in an Astilboides Tabularis tub - as related to Rogersia & Astilbe; , many more in the Tetrapanex as it prefers it well drained. Plus I can take any in to the polytunnel to overwinter if necessary.

I’m delighted with it already, so if it gets any creamy pompoms of flowers (that bees are supposed to appreciate) this first autumn, & if lucky for these to be followed by black fruit, that certainly will be the icing on the cake, & if it doesn’t, I’ll wait until next year: because that’s what gardening does, doesn’t it?

It teaches you patience…to be present: appreciate the now; it is the best form of self-care, physical & emotional well-being out there.

Enjoy even 10 minutes of garden therapy if you can everyday - mindfulness at its best!

@just.me.in.my.garden