China doll

China doll: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, branching shrub, 1–1.5 m tall and 60–80 cm wide indoors.

Foliage

Twice-pinnate and finely divided, with small, glossy dark green leaflets.

Flower

Rarely flowers indoors. In the wild it bears yellowish-white, trumpet-shaped flowers.

Stems

Young shoots are green; older stems become woody and turn brownish.

Origin

Forests of southern China and Taiwan: it likes warmth, humidity and filtered light.

Plants: March–April · Pruning: March–April

Why grow it?

• Fine, glossy, fern-like foliage that makes a room feel light and tropical.
• Evergreen: a fresh, green plant all year round.
• Grows into an attractive indoor shrub of 1–1.5 m without taking up much space.
• Easy to shape: one pruning in spring keeps it compact and well branched.
• Suits a bright room or conservatory where a large palm would feel too heavy.

China doll: where does it grow best?

• Bright light to half shade: a light spot by the window, without fierce midday sun that scorches the leaves.
• Choose a fixed spot: moving or frequently turning it can cause leaf drop.
• Airy, humus-rich potting compost with a little perlite or sand for drainage, slightly acid to neutral.
• Evenly moist but never standing in water; ideally 16–24 °C and never below 12 °C.
• No draughts and not directly above a radiator; allow 60–80 cm of space around it.

Light

Bright, out of direct sun

Potting soil

Multi-purpose compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Watering

Moderately

Size

1.5 m tall, 0.8 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 12 °C

Goes well with

• Boston fern: Likes the same bright, humid spot and echoes the airy foliage.
• Calathea: Same humidity needs and a beautiful leaf pattern that contrasts with the fine foliage.
• Fiddle-leaf fig: Large, broad leaves that stand out against the fine foliage.
• Snake plant: Sturdy, upright leaves as a calm counterpoint.

China doll: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Repot in March–April, when the plant starts to grow again.
2. Choose a pot only 2–3 cm wider than the old one, with a drainage hole; put a layer of clay pebbles at the bottom.
3. Use an airy houseplant compost mixed with about a fifth perlite.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as before, fill in and firm lightly without damaging the roots.
5. Water straight away until it runs out at the bottom, and empty the saucer after a quarter of an hour.
6. Put it back in its usual place and do not feed for 4–6 weeks.

Care

Water

Keep the soil evenly moist, but not wet. Let only the top 1–2 cm dry out between waterings. Use lukewarm, low-lime water if you can; both drought and wet roots cause leaf drop.

Feeding

From April to September, a liquid houseplant fertiliser every 2 weeks at half strength. Do not feed in winter.

Humidity

It likes humid air: mist now and then, or stand the pot on a tray of wet clay pebbles, without the pot sitting in the water.

Repotting

Every year or every two years in spring, until it reaches its final size. After that, simply replace the top layer of compost.

Position

Leave it where it grows well: any sudden change in light or temperature can make it drop leaves.

Tip: Once you have found a good spot, leave it there: at most give the pot a quarter turn now and then. Any change in light or temperature can make it drop leaves.

China doll: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–April.

When: In March or April, when new growth begins.

How:

• Cut long or bare stems back to just above a side shoot or bud, by about a third of their length.
• Remove dead, weak and crossing stems right at the base.
• Pinch out the tips: it branches better and becomes fuller.
• Use a sharp, clean knife or pair of secateurs.

Caution: Never remove more than a third of the plant at once, and do not prune in winter: it is not growing then and recovers slowly.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Tip cuttings

In May–July: take cuttings of 8–10 cm with a few leaves, remove the lower leaves and put them in moist cutting compost under plastic at 22–25 °C. It does not always root easily: rooting powder helps, and patience is needed.

China doll: how does it get through the winter?

• Not hardy: keep it indoors at 12 °C or more; 16–20 °C is ideal.
• Give it the brightest spot, without fierce sun, away from draughts and cold windows, and not directly above a radiator.
• Water less, but never let the root ball dry out completely. Do not feed.
• Heated air is dry: mist regularly or put a bowl of water nearby.

Diseases and pests

• Leaf drop: It drops leaves in a draught, after being moved, when dry or in too little light. Find a fixed, bright spot without draughts and keep the soil evenly moist.
• Spider mite: Fine webs and pale, speckled leaves in dry air. Rinse the plant under a lukewarm shower, raise the humidity and repeat weekly.
• Scale and mealybug: Brown bumps or white fluff on stems and leaves. Wipe them off with a cloth and soapy water and check again after a week.
• Brown leaf edges: Usually air that is too dry, or too much lime and fertiliser. Use softer water, feed less and raise the humidity.
• Yellow leaves: Usually too wet. Let the top layer dry out and check that surplus water can drain away.

Through the year

• January: Rest. Mist now and then if heated air is dry.
• February: Rest. A bright spot without draughts. Plan the repotting.
• March: Repot if needed. Prune for a compact shape.
• April: Repot and prune. Start feeding every 2 weeks.
• May: Take tip cuttings. Water and mist.
• June: Feed. Bright spot without fierce midday sun.
• July: Take cuttings. Water in warm weather.
• August: Feed. Watch for spider mite in dry air.
• September: Last feed. Prepare the winter spot.
• October: Water less. Keep away from draughts.
• November: Bright spot at 16–20 °C. Do not feed.
• December: Resting period. Do not let the root ball dry out.

Did you know?

• The genus is named after the Dutchman J.C.M. Radermacher, an eighteenth-century administrator and nature lover in Batavia.
• It belongs to the Bignoniaceae, the family of the catalpa and the trumpet vine (Campsis), among others.
• In the wild it is a tree several metres tall; as a houseplant it stays much smaller.