Fatsia Japonica and Trachycarpus Fortunei

[hardwood]

Hello, new here

Any suggestions for an exotic look in the garden? Been looking at gardening books.

I like Fatsia Japonica and Trachycarpus Fortunei (Chusan)

Are they easy and hardy?

[weve]

Hi and weclome,

Both are hardy (even when small) and are quite easy-care too. For best leaf colour plant the fatsia in shade. In sun it grows fine, but the leaves will be a paler green with a yellowish hue which is IMO is a little unattractive. My Fatsia is a bit of a slow grower tho'. so it may take some years to "bulk up".

If you have them, and plant them out in spring, they should be well established and growing well by the autumn.

Almost as hardy is the European Fan Palm (chamaerops humils) which is a good reliable palm too, and cheap!

best
weve

[hardwood]

Thank you weve. I see FATSIA JAPONICA growing inside peoples houses, surprised to see this growing outside in garden books in england.

[hardwood]

Another question, where best to buy them? Are the ones I see at garden centres (wyevale) the same as the ones I see at books?

[tenchy]

both bullet proof mate. my trachhy is a bit blotchy but is ok.

[themes]

philodendron and monstera deliciosa are very similar in appearance to fatsia. They make good houseplants

[weve]

Yep the fatsias are the same hardy plant wherever purchased (even if it is in the "indoor plants" section!)

Personally I'd try to buy a biggish fatsia and a smallish (say 9" trunk) Trachycarpus. (in my experience smaller trachys make better and faster growing plants than larger ones after say 3 years). Just my opinion and experience tho'.
best
weve

[Nigel Fear]

Yep, you won;t go far wrong with these two plants, give them both a bit of room, and water well specially 1st couple of years.

Ideally for both to be sheltered from high winds if possible.
...and watch out for blackfly on the fatsia's new spring leaves.

[Birmingham Chris]

Another question, where best to buy them? Are the ones I see at garden centres (wyevale) the same as the ones I see at books?

they're a lot cheaper (fatsias) if you buy them in the indoor plant section at B&Q; I bought a couple from inside last year at £5 each, and they were nearly £15 for exactly the same plant in exactly the same pot size in the outdoor bit on the same day!

[marie06]

Fatsias are really easy to grow from seed, which if memory serves me correctly, ripen on the plant about this time of year. I tried 3 seeds off one of my Fatsias last year, just stuck them in some garden soil in pots and left them and they all grew. I recently saw a variegated one for sale on a plant site, can't remember which one, but it was very attractive. If you buy one sold as a houseplant, make sure you harden it off before you plant it out.

[simon]

I din't know Fatsias were grown as house plants. They are dead hardy and common in municipal planting, Hardwood. You will see some large specimens at Alexandra Gardens in Windsor. They have probably been there decades.

[Dave Brown]

Simon, this is a US thing where Fatsia is not hardy away from southern and western coastal areas. It is another of those "Hardy as Nails" plants that is not quite as hardy as people assume. -12 to -14C seems just about ok, so in places we are borderline. Ground freeze may be a problem where temperature remain low.

If you buy these as a house plant, make sure it is hardened off and grows during the summer as the leaves grown under cover may not be frost hardy

[Adrian]

As Dave says, its not as hard as nails, it is hardy but it does damage.
I have grown one outside here for about 15 years and it takes some damage most years.
I also have one of the variegated varieties here called 'annalise' and that has had a terrible hammering this winter despite being sheltered by the tree ferns.

Yes hardy enough to plant and not worry about but expect to have a tidy up in spring.

[dino]

My Fatsia has also suffered in the snow and has a few black leaves but hey, just to have stuff survive this year is a plus.

[JohnH]

Would fatsai be ok in my location?