Houseplant of the week: false castor oil plant

With its glossy foliage and elegant white flowers, this favourite is a natural for a bathroom or kitchen

Why will I love it?
This plant, from the coastal woodlands of Japan and South Korea, has big, glossy, leathery leaves with seven to nine deep lobes. Fatsia japonica is a year-round spectacle, with bright white flowers in late autumn and early winter, followed by small black fruit in spring.

Light or shade?
It’s happiest in bright indirect light to semi-shade. With too much direct sunlight, those vibrant green leaves may take on a yellowish hue.

Where should I put it?
A well-ventilated bathroom or kitchen – it adores the extra moisture these spaces offer. Place it near an east- or west-facing window, to soak up the filtered sunlight.

How do I keep it alive?
Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy. Let the top layer dry out before watering. As summer arrives, offer it regular misting and a room temperature of around 16-21C. In winter, it prefers a slightly cooler environment, between 7C and 13C.

Did you know …
The name “fatsia” echoes the Japanese word for “eight,” a nod to the lobes on its leaves. Other common names include paperplant, Japanese aralia and eight fingers. The variegated “Spider’s Web” cultivar is particularly lovely.

This article’s headline was amended on 16 January 2024 to correctly refer to Fatsia japonica as the false castor oil plant, rather than the “castor oil plant” – Ricinus communis – whose seeds can be toxic.

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