Species · genus Polyscias · Araliaceae
Geranium Aralia
Polyscias guilfoylei (W.Bull ex Cogn. & Marchal) Bailey
Also known as: Coffeetree · Geranium-leaf Aralia · Wild Coffee · Lace Aralia
Cultivars of P. guilfoylei
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under P. guilfoylei yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.
Guide
The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.
Wild Coffee, Briefly
Polyscias guilfoylei, known as wild coffee or geranium aralia, is a tender evergreen shrub grown as a houseplant or in a warm conservatory. It carries pinnate leaves made up of rounded, glossy dark green leaflets with irregular edges, giving it a bushy, textured presence.
Source: RHS
A Malesian Native
This species comes from the region spanning eastern Malesia and the western Pacific. In the UK it has no natural hardiness and is rated H1A, meaning it needs to stay under glass or indoors year round.
Source: RHS
Light, Water, Feeding
Grow it in full or bright, filtered light, potted in a peat-free, loam-based mix that stays moist but well-drained. While it is actively growing, water freely, mist daily, and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser, then ease off to sparing water in winter. It tolerates full sun to partial shade and prefers a sheltered spot, whether that is a bright windowsill or conservatory bench.
Source: RHS
Seed Or Cuttings
Wild coffee can be raised from seed, or increased by taking greenwood cuttings in early summer. Leafless stem sections will also root if given bottom heat during summer.
Source: RHS
Leaflet Shape And Habit
The defining trait here is the pinnate leaf, built from rounded, irregularly-margined leaflets with a glossy dark green finish. Its habit is bushy, reaching roughly 1 to 1.5 metres in height with a spread of 0.5 to 1 metre, and it takes some 5 to 10 years to reach that maturity.
Source: RHS
Mites And Mealybugs
Keep an eye out for glasshouse red spider mite and mealybugs, the two pests this plant is noted to be susceptible to. Beyond that, it is generally considered disease-free.
Source: RHS
Light Pruning Group
Polyscias guilfoylei falls into pruning group one, meaning it only needs light, shaping cuts rather than hard renovation. Note too that it is a skin allergen, so gloves and protective equipment are worth wearing when handling it.
Source: RHS
Care recipe
The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.
Care notes are early — not yet verified
- Light
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Water
- ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Soil
- ai:claude-fable-5
- Care
- ai:claude-fable-5
Bright, indirect
≈ every 12 days
Medium
16–27 °C
Rich, well-draining peat-based potting mix
Stem cuttings rooted in a warm, humid environment
Balanced liquid feed monthly during active growth
Moderate
Rarely flowers indoors
Not yet documented
This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
PrimarySources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d) · ai:claude-fable-5
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Geranium Aralia yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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