Extension Educationin Travis County

Impulse Buy Becomes One Tough Plant

Fatsia Japonica – also known as Japanese Aralia

I have to admit it, I bought my Japanese Aralia (Fatsia japonica) off a discount shelf at a Houston big box store because I loved the shape of the leaves and it looked so healthy! It was the end of the summer season and they were clearing out their plants in favor of space for the upcoming Christmas trees – and my eyes always wonder toward any plant I’ve not seen before. The Aralia caught my eye, as the leaves were deep green and large, with 7 to 9 lobes per leaf, giving it a tropical appearance with its bold and shiny foliage. My purchase was a small 2-quart-sized plant with a single stem, but I soon learned that the natural growth is for multiple stems, with the overall plant remaining rounded in form.

Container Plant Worthy in Austin?

I started my plant in a container, as I read that it preferred some shade in the afternoon and my backyard is mostly sunny. I transplanted into a 14-inch container and it soon branched out and performed beautifully as a potted specimen. The next winter, I left it out during a short freeze, and realized that after I cut back the damaged leaves, the plant recovered and produced yet another summer of beautiful foliage for the patio.

I then moved from Houston to Austin the following winter and carried the plant with me. I noticed that in the Austin area many homeowners were using the Aralia as a landscape plant. That spring, I decided to move my Aralia from it’s container and plant it in a shady corner of my new backyard where I wanted interesting foliage and an anchor specimen with some height. My thought was to add seasonal color changes in the border area in front of the plant. It grew much quicker, achieving nearly 3 foot in height and width in it’s new home. Two years later, Winter Storm Uri tortured it with single digit temperatures for 6 days straight.

Aralias are Tough!

Fatsia Japonica after the historic February 2021 freeze

Positioned on the northside of my backyard, the Aralia was somewhat sheltered by the wind as it sits against a backwall. I didn’t even think to cover it, as it had always recovered from freezes before and didn’t realize what Uri was about to bring. Within days of the freeze, all the leaves soon turned ashen gray and dried up, like nearly everything else in the yard. I wasn’t sure if my little Aralia was going to survive the brutal winter this time.

Fatsia Japonica showing signs of recovery in April 2021

Then in March, I noticed a few leaves emerging from a new stalk. Taking the advice of Texas A&M Forest Service, I removed all the dead foliage, but left the dead-looking stalks in the ground. By April, I knew it had a chance to survive as more new leaves emerged and a second stalk appeared. By May, I felt comfortable removing the previous (dead) stalks, not seeing any growth emerging from them. It wasn’t long before the Aralia began to take its rounded shape and assuming it’s 3-ft height. In fact, the new growth was fuller and filling out the corner very nicely. And yet it surprised me again.

Aralias Bloom!

Fatsia Japonica sporting a fall floral display

I have had the Aralia over 5 years (in container and ground) and never saw a bloom. But this fall, starting in late October, a bloom began to appear from within the foliage. It soon opened to a beautiful flower, ending its bloom period with black seeds – just in time to feed the birds. And even with this winter’s short freeze periods, my Aralia remains green with only a few leaves showing minor damage. I’m betting I’ll see a larger plant than I’ve ever seen before this summer and look forward to yet another bloom period in the fall.

The Aralia is quite an anchor specimen deserving of any part-shade location. Even in the high alkaline soils of the St. Edwards Plateau, the plant enjoys consistent growth. Since the location of mine is very shady, it will likely not reach the reported 10ft height possible in sunnier locations. But even if it only reaches 5 ft., it’s a great showy plant for the landscape and the neighboring honeybees loved the flowers. In fact, it’s one of the few beauties in my landscape providing much needed pollinator food at the onset of winter. Which reminds me, with spring coming soon, it will be time to plant additional bulbs for fall flowering and the bulb catalogs are calling my name!

Additional Resources

Have a question about a specific plant or tree? Contact the Travis County Master Gardener Helpdesk at travismg@ag.tamu.edu.

Other Posts on this topic:

• Plant Freeze Recovery Tips
• Huisache – the 2021 Winter Storm Survivor
• Variegated Ginger – Surprising 2021 Winter Storm Survivor

Weather Strategies for Austin Gardens

Frosts and Freezes

Native and Adapted Landscape Plants searchable database

Climate Graph for Austin Bergstrom

 About Yvonne Schneider

Yvonne was a 35+year veteran in the computer and information technology industry when she retired and moved from Houston to the Austin area. In 2018, Yvonne certified as a Travis County Texas Master Gardener to follow her passion for gardening and volunteering within the community. She has spent 20+ years enjoying gardening and working with bulbs and perennials. She now tackles the challenges presented by the Austin area wildlife, drought, and limestone soil.

Micro-climate, Macro-effect

The Snowmageddon of February 2021 totally wiped out 26 of my agaves. But a tender perennial, variegated ginger, made a surprising comeback.

Fig. 1 – Alpinia zerumbet flowers

My Variegated Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) was a real specimen plant, anchoring one end of my front porch. It was ideally situated: sheltered by the house on one side and the porch on the other, next to an intake to a French drain. It got six hours or less of sun a day. Over the eight years it had been in place, it had grown to six feet tall and eight feet wide. It even flowered one year. [Fig. 1]

When the snow finally melted on February 16th, the damage looked fatal. The weight of the ice had broken most of the stalks. The few that remained upright were brown and mostly shredded. [Fig. 2]

I was vaguely hopeful, so I left it as-is for a few weeks – to no avail. Reality finally set in. I cut it all to the ground in early March. [Fig. 3]

Fig. 2 – Freeze damage appears fatal.	Fig. 3 – The plant cut back to the ground.

The Virtue of Patience

By the time April rolled around, there were some very minor signs of encouragement. [Fig. 4] Those little sprouts along with Texas A&M Forestry Service advice not to act hastily was enough for me to leave it alone for another month.

In May, I saw some real progress. Not massive growth. But more and more sprouts and some fully-formed (though tiny) leaves. [Fig. 5]  Patience is not my natural habit. Renewed hope kept me from digging it up. And I am so glad I resisted.

Fig. 4 – Shoots emerging!	Fig. 5 – New leaves unfurling.	Fig. 6 – Mostly recovered by September

The summer was good to the Variegated Ginger. By September it had mostly recovered. [Fig. 6] The stalks were not as strong or as tall as before. And some of the newer leaves were still curled. But it was clearly returning to its earlier glory.

Fig. 7 – Fully recovered!

At year’s end, the plant clocked in at four-and-one-half feet tall and seven feet wide with increasing density. [Fig.7] It’s well on its way to reaching its original six feet height and eight feet width.

I’m convinced this rebirth could not have happened without the confluence of multiple environmental factors: the right amount of sun, protective shelter, and water funneling through to the French drain. The ideal micro-climate for a welcome comeback. A pleasure I see every time I drive by. I wish I could say the same for my agaves.

Additional Resources

Kirk is participating in the Travis County Master Gardener Winter Storm Project.

Weather Strategies for Austin Gardens

Frosts and Freezes

Native and Adapted Landscape Plants searchable database

Climate Graph for Austin Bergstrom

About Kirk Walden

Kirk is a hands-on experiential gardener. While he appreciates the cerebral aspects of gardening, he revels in the visceral experience of digging in the dirt. When he moved to Austin in 1998, the home had virtually no landscaping, mostly just limestone and cedars. His determination to beautify it led to an avocation as a serious gardener that culminated in Travis County Master Gardener Certification in 2014.

The Right Plant for the Right Place

Driving around the Austin area you see a lot of trees suffering winter storm damage from the February 2021 freeze. And while arborists have been busy cutting down trees, I have a great success story to share.

In September of 2020, a Wax Myrtle across from my front door died inexplicably. I didn’t want such a prominent spot to be empty for long, so set to selecting a replacement.

Fig 1. Huisache has very fragrant fluffy yellow blossoms in spring

I wanted something showy, since it sits directly across from the front door, and that can take full sun. I also required an upright habit so as not to infringe on the driveway. I did not need it to block the neighbor because it sits in front of decorative fencing, so it could be medium height. My other requirements were that it should be native, require low water, and be limestone tolerant.

After some research, I selected the Huisache (pronounced “wee·saa·chee”) tree [Fig 1]. The other common name for Acacia farnesiana  is Sweet Acacia. It is similar in appearance to a Mesquite, but lighter and airier with oodles of fragrant, fluffy balls in the spring.

And Then February Arrived…

I planted a beautiful specimen seven feet tall by three feet wide in mid-October, looking forward to spring blooms. Four months later, the fledgling was bent in half touching the ground, weighted down with ice and snow. [Fig 2]

Fig 2. New tree pulled to the ground due to weight.

Fig 3. Damaged tree tied to the fence to keep upright.

I was horrified. Surely, the Huisache had not had sufficient time to establish a root system strong enough to withstand such an assault. Not ready to give up, I used a hair dryer to melt the ice, stood it up straight, and lashed it to the fence to keep it upright. [Fig 3]

When Do You Give Up?

Then I not-so-patiently waited for spring. It was easy tracking its progress since I saw it every time I walked out my front door. By mid-April, not a single leaf had returned. Only a few shoots were coming from the bottom. I thought the tree was essentially dead. [Fig 4]

Fig 4. Tree appears dead but green shoots emerge at the ground.

Fig 5. The main trunk still bare but shoots are growing well.

But, I followed the Texas A&M Forest Service‘s advice and left it in place to see what would happen. That advice saved my tree.

By mid-May, the new growth from the bottom was prolific, two feet tall and just as wide. Alas, the main trunk still had no leaves, and no promise for them. So, I cut it down to three feet, and let all the new, thin trunks grow in every direction. [Fig 5]

Freeze? What Freeze?

Miraculously, when September rolled around, the tree had been restored to it’s original seven feet height and it was wider at five feet. [Fig 6]

Fig 6. Huisache will be pruned to shape as it continues to grow

Yes, the shape changed a bit from the winter storm damage. I now have multiple trunks that I will selectively prune for shape as the tree continues to grow. And, it’s still a little thin on top. However, I no longer grimace every time I reach my front door. Instead, I smile anticipating all those perfumed little yellow clouds this spring. What a wonderful tree! Wonderful Huisache!

Additional Resources

Kirk is participating in the 2021 Winter Storm Project. Other Posts on this topic:

• Plant Freeze Recovery Tips
• The Travis County Master Gardener 2021 Winter Storm Project

Weather Strategies for Austin Gardens

Frosts and Freezes

Native and Adapted Landscape Plants searchable database

Climate Graph for Austin Bergstrom

About Kirk Walden

Kirk is a hands-on experiential gardener. While he appreciates the cerebral aspects of gardening, he revels in the visceral experience of digging in the dirt. When he moved to Austin in 1998, the home had virtually no landscaping, mostly just limestone and cedars. His determination to beautify it led to an avocation as a serious gardener that culminated in Travis County Master Gardener Certification in 2014.