Fatsia Japonica - full sun?

Big Blue Sky · February 2023

I have a few questions about Fatsia Japonica please,

- can it grow in full sun?

- I have mine (currently about 3f tall) in a large pot outside - would it grow large if left in the pot, or is it better to plant it out? I have very free draining soil.

- how tall and how fast does it grow and what can I do to encourage it to grow as fast and as tall as possible.

If it could reach ca. 3m tall it would be a lovely privacy screen for my garden - in addition to generally being a beautiful plant.

Fairygirl · February 2023

They're not great in sun for any length of time.
They're also not great in containers long term, so always better in the ground.
How fast it grows is like any other plant and depends on the conditions. Moisture, some shade, and decent soil which drains well enough. You're looking at a few years for it to get to around five or six feet in most locations though.
They can be cut back to encourage new growth. Necessary every year for mine as the winter gives them a hard time, but they come back no problem.

Plantminded · February 2023

Although Fatsia japonica is one of my favourite plants for shade, I find that it is quite fussy about location and is also unreliable, particularly, after a dry summer and cold wet winter. Mine has yellowing, drooping leaves and browned growing points at the moment, so not very cheerful! It's also been quite slow growing but that could be due to my sandy free draining soil. I'll follow @Fairygirl's advice and cut it back hard soon to see if that revives it, along with adding some organic mulch.

JennyJ · February 2023

Mine always looks a bit rough after the winter and it's been here longer than we have, on well-drained sandy soil near the east-facing wall of the house. It was a large mature plant when we bought the house in 1988 so I'd say it's around 40 years old, maybe more. I keep it to a manageable size/bulk by taking out maybe 3 or 4 of the older stems right back to the base each spring and pruning off the old flowers and any browned leaves from the rest at the same time. It's been cut completely down to the ground twice when we've needed access to the wall behind it. It's a tough plant but I wouldn't try to keep one in a pot or in full sun.

thevictorian · February 2023

There are plenty in full sun around me and whilst they seem to do fine, even with the summer we just had, they don't look as vibrant or green as those with some shade. We get the same with camellias, where I don't think the sun is the biggest issue but the lack of iron availability caused by more luxuriant growth.

Uff · February 2023

Just taken these pics of mine. It's in full sun and in an exposed position. Bearing in mind the extreme cold it's had twice this winter it's looking ok. The brown bits on the leaves is frost damage. It's been there nearly 8 years.

Fairygirl · February 2023

Yes - they need decent enough soil to thrive and look good. We're fortunate here that the soil suits all these types of plants - including the aforementioned Camellias etc., as it's clay and has plenty of nutrition, so as long as it's improved enough to give good drainage, it's excellent for healthy growth in most shrubs.
The downside is that the winter weather isn't helpful for plants like Fatsias, but they come away no problem after cutting back. I've never lost any. In sunny sites they bleach too much and don't look great. Camellias, most Rhodos, and Skimmias also look poor here in too much sun.
A seaweed feed every now and again through summer is always helpful too, if the soil is poorer

Plantminded · February 2023

That's an impressive plant you've got there @Uff! Just shows the difference with good soil - I'll have to try harder!

Big Blue Sky · February 2023

Thank you everybody for sharing your experience. Looks like using Fatsia in my very sunny garden is not an option. But I’m glad I checked, at least this way they plant won’t have to suffer unsuitable conditions.

Slow-worm · February 2023

Mine is it a sheltered raised bed which faces WNW and it always looks great all year round. I had it in a pot for about 4 years, and it shot up after being planted out, it's like a mini forest now. 😄
I never feed it, just let the tree leaves act as a mulch.

Fairygirl · February 2023

Uff's fatsia seems to have other shrubs around which will give protection in summer sun. In an exposed site with nothing else around to give some shade, that would be quite different

If you have a spot with a shed, hedge or wall nearby, that could be enough to give it a breather. Is there nowhere that you have a tree or a large shrub or similar in the garden @Big Blue Sky? Even a sunny, south facing garden should hopefully have some shade for part of the day.

Fatsia Japonica - full sun?

Posts