Araliaceae

Large, deeply lobed, glossy dark green leaves with 7-11 finger-like lobes. One of the most dramatic large-leaved shrubs for cool indoor spaces. The leaf scale and gloss are exceptional. Prefers temperatures below 20°C and actively benefits from a cool, bright winter. In consistently warm, centrally heated rooms the leaves become smaller, the plant grows poorly, and spider mites become a persistent problem. A cool hallway, porch, or north-facing room in winter is ideal.

White speckling and irregular cream variegation on the lobed leaves. The pattern resembles a spider's web across the dark green surface. Requires more light than the plain species to maintain the white markings while still preferring cool conditions. Slower growing than standard japonica. The variegation is most vivid in medium to bright indirect light; in low light the white becomes less pronounced.

Yellow-gold variegation at the leaf margins and tips. More striking than Spider's Web in good light. Requires the most light of the common Fatsia cultivars to maintain the gold coloration. In low light the yellow becomes a dull cream and eventually fades to green. Same cool temperature preference as the species.

The classic three to five-lobed ivy leaf on adhesive, self-climbing stems. Attaches to surfaces using adhesive rootlets, useful for covering walls but difficult to remove once established. Suffers in warm, dry air. Spider mite infestation in centrally heated rooms is the most common and most consistent ivy problem. A cool, bright window in a cool room is its ideal position.

Grey-green leaves with irregular yellow-gold margins. One of the most widely available variegated ivies. Requires more light than plain helix to maintain the gold margin. The gold is most vivid in medium indirect light. In low light it fades to cream and then to a washed-out green. Same cool temperature preference and spider mite vulnerability as standard helix.

Grey-green leaves with irregular white to cream margins and occasional silver tones. More restrained in color than Gold Child but works well in lower light where the silvery tone reads as intentional rather than faded. One of the most widely sold variegated ivies alongside Gold Child. Care identical to standard helix.

Finely divided, parsley-like, dark green leaflets on slender, upright branching stems. Develops a distinctive, airy, bonsai-like structure over years. Slow-growing but the form that develops with age is genuinely elegant. Sensitive to cold drafts. Position away from exterior doors and windows that cool dramatically in winter. Leaf drop when moved is normal; the plant usually stabilises once established in a position.

Round to kidney-shaped leaflets with scalloped or toothed margins, completely different in leaf form from fruticosa. More compact in habit. Sometimes available in a variegated form with cream margins. The rounded leaf form gives it a different character from the feathery fruticosa, more substantial and architectural per leaf. Care identical to fruticosa.

Small, glossy, oval leaflets arranged in umbrella-like clusters of 7-9 radiating from a central point. The most versatile and widely sold Schefflera. Genuinely tolerates lower light than most large foliage plants while maintaining reasonable appearance. Can be trained into a multi-stemmed bush or a single-trunk tree form. Benefits from occasional pruning to maintain compact form. Unpruned plants become leggy over time.

Yellow and green variegated leaflets. The yellow variegation requires more light than plain arboricola to maintain. In lower light it reverts toward green. Sold under various names including 'Gold Capella'. Otherwise identical in care to the plain species.

Much larger than arboricola. The leaflets can reach 30cm in length in mature plants, and the overall plant reaches 2-3m indoors over time. More dramatic but less versatile than arboricola. Suitable for large, bright rooms where it has room to grow.