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Polyscias elegans

celery wood

Araliaceae Eastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 10–11

Overview

Polyscias elegans is an evergreen rainforest tree reaching 30-80 feet (9-24 m) tall and 13-26 feet (4-8 m) wide, with a straight trunk and a rounded crown of large compound leaves clustered toward the branch ends. The leaves are bipinnate, 1.5-3 feet (45-90 cm) long, divided into many oval glossy green leaflets each 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) long; cut stems and crushed leaves give off a celery-like smell. Large branched sprays of small purple to grey flowers about 0.1 inch (3 mm) across appear above the foliage in summer and autumn. Rounded fleshy fruit 0.2-0.3 inch (5-8 mm) across follow, ripening from green to purple-black. Growth is fast, with young trees gaining 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8 m) a year, and the soft timber is weak and short-lived. The species needs warmth, shelter, and moist fertile soil, is frost-sensitive, and quickly outgrows small gardens.

Native Range

Native to eastern Australia, from Cape York in Queensland south through New South Wales, in rainforest and along its margins, as a common early colonizer of cleared and disturbed forest on moist, fertile soils from near sea level to about 3,300 feet (1,000 m).

Suggested Uses

Planted as a fast shade and canopy tree in large native, rainforest-style, and parkland gardens, and in revegetation of cleared forest, spaced 16-26 feet (5-8 m) apart. The fruit feeds many rainforest birds, suiting habitat plantings. Large size, brittle wood, and frost sensitivity limit its use in small, cold, or exposed gardens.

How to Identify

Recognized by the large bipinnate leaves up to 3 feet (90 cm) long with many glossy leaflets clustered at the branch ends and by the celery-like smell of cut stems and crushed foliage. Branched sprays of small purple-grey flowers stand above the crown in summer and autumn, followed by purple-black fruit. The celery scent and large divided leaves separate it from other rainforest trees.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height30' - 80'

Width/Spread13' - 26'

Reaches mature size in approximately 10 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowers mainly in summer and autumn, December to May in its native range. The large flower sprays open over several weeks and draw insects and birds. Fruit ripens from autumn into winter, turning from green to purple-black and feeding many fruit-eating birds.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Purple to grey

Foliage Description

Glossy green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

5-10 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained, fertile soil, sheltered from frost and strong wind. Water regularly through the first two seasons and during dry spells; the tree grows fast where moisture is steady and slows in dry soil. Frost below about 32 F (0 C) damages young trees, which suit warm, sheltered positions. The soft wood is brittle and can drop limbs in storms with age. Few serious pests affect it, though leaves may be chewed by rainforest insects.

Pruning

Prune young trees in late winter to form a single straight trunk and a balanced crown. Low and crossing branches can be removed while the wood is small, as large pruning wounds heal slowly in the soft timber. The tree reshoots from cut stems but needs little routine pruning once established.

Pruning Schedule

winter