Species · genus Tetrapanax · Araliaceae

Rice Paper Plant

Tetrapanax papyrifer (Hook.) K.Koch

Also known as: Chinese Rice-paper Plant · Rice Paper Tree · Aralia · Figleaf Palm · Pith Paper-plant

Growth habit

shrub or tree

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Taiwan

Reference · T. papyrifer

Cultivars of T. papyrifer

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under T. papyrifer 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.

A vigorous shrub-to-tree from the warm-temperate to subtropical woodlands of China and Taiwan, grown indoors for its large, lobed leaves. It wants bright indirect light and a soil that drains freely; let the top two inches of mix dry before watering again, as it dislikes sitting wet. As a fast grower it can drink more in active growth, so check the mix rather than the calendar.

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 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

10–27 °C

Soil mix

Rich, well-draining loamy mix that holds some moisture

Propagation

Root cuttings or removal of suckering offsets

Fertilizing

Balanced feed monthly during active growth

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

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.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Rice Paper Plant yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.