Plerandra elegantissima

Plerandra elegantissima (formerly called Schefflera elegantissima and Dizygotheca elegantissima), the false aralia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, native to New Caledonia.^[2]

Plerandra elegantissima
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Araliaceae
Genus:	Plerandra
Species:	P. elegantissima
Binomial name
Plerandra elegantissima (Veitch ex Masters ) Lowry G.M.Plunkett & Frodin
Synonyms[1]
Aralia elegantissima Veitch ex Mast. Dizygotheca coenosa R. Vig. Dizygotheca elegantissima (Veitch ex Mast.) R. Vig. & Guillaumin Dizygotheca faguetii (Baill.) R. Vig. Schefflera coenosa (R. Vig.) Frodin Schefflera elegantissima (Veitch ex Mast.) Lowry & Frodin Schefflera faguetii Baill.

Description

Growing to 8–15 m (26–49 ft) tall by 2 m (7 ft) broad, it is an evergreen shrub or tree. Its leaves are thin, coppery red to dark green with toothed edges and consist of 7-11 leaflets. On adult plants the leaves are much broader. In autumn it bears clusters of pale green flowers followed by black fruit.

Cultivation

With a minimum temperature of 13–15 °C (55–59 °F), in temperate zones it is grown as a houseplant and is much more compact, typically reaching heights of 2–3 m (7–10 ft).^[3] In cultivation, it needs a lot of light and humidity. The soil should dry out between watering. This plant has little branching and is sensitive to the appearance of mealybugs.

Under the name Schefflera elegantissima, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[4][5]