Polyscias balfouriana 'Butterfly'
30th September 2023
Polyscias is a genus in the Araliaceae from Southeast Asia and the tropical Pacific islands. There is noi reason to expect any of them to be tough, let alone hardy here.
They are grown occasionally as house plants. I abandoned them a long time ago because they are very prone to red spider mite and they go all speckly and limp. It's a pity, but they're not really suitable for the windowsill.
Polyscias balfouriana is a moderate shrub from New Guinea and reaching into Queensland, Australia. There is a slim chance that it might be hardy, but such a slim chance that it could be concealed behind
a single, curly nostril hair (sadly I get those).
I was beguiled by a supermarket, who offered me a small plant for £1. Impossible to refuse, unlikely to survive.
'Butterfly' is a selection with broader leaves than the typical form. It is probably more compact as well, but my plant is unlikely to survive for long enough for it to matter.