Tetrapanax papyrifer (Hook.) K.Koch

Tetrapanax papyrifer first came to the attention of western botanists in the guise of artificial flowers and watercolour paintings created from ‘rice paper’ (the species epithet papyrifer means ‘paper bearing’ in Latin). These items were popular souvenirs for European travellers in China at the beginning of the 19th century, where the earliest mention of pith paper is thought to be from the Tsin Dynasty (245–420 AD); it was also listed in the Chinese Materia Medica in 1590 and has traditionally been used in Chinese medicine (Nesbitt, Prosser & Williams 2010; Harvard University Herbaria and Libraries 2025). Although botanists realised that the rice paper was not made from rice, it took several decades to identify the plant that provided the raw material. A very interesting detailed account of the pith paper trade is given by Nesbitt, Prosser & Williams (2010).

In 1830, William Jackson Hooker received a sample of the plant whilst Chair of Botany at the University of Glasgow, and wrote to his contacts for identification. It was mis-identified as Aeschynomene aspera (Fabaceae, whose pith is also valued, including for the manufacture of ‘pith helmets’), which perpetuated confusion in the literature for several years (Perdue & Kraebel 1961; Nesbitt, Prosser & Williams 2010). Hooker was tenacious in his quest, and after the First Opium War (1839–42) new opportunities opened up for Western contacts, leading to the discovery of the plant’s origins in the forests of northern Taiwan. Hooker was able to describe the plant as a new species in 1852, which he provisionally named Aralia papyrifer. The acquisition of living plants was hampered by the dangers encountered whilst collecting it, and the problems of transport: keeping the plant alive for long periods on board ships was fraught with difficulties ranging from brown ants to pirates (Hooker 1852)! Finally, two living plants arrived in Britain and flowered under glass in ‘a damp stove’ at Kew in December 1855 (Hooker 1856). It became evident that it differed from Aralia and it was separated into Tetrapanax by Carl Koch in 1859. Bentham and Hooker published it as Fatsia papyrifer (Hook.) Miq. ex Witte. in 1867, under which name it was known for much of the remainder of the 19th century (Nesbitt, Prosser & Williams 2010). It has also historically been placed in Panax, Didymopanax, and Echinopanax (Plants of the World Online 2020).

In the latter half of the 19th century it appears that Tetrapanax papyrifer was somewhat forgotten, as a preference emerged for more compact Araliaceae with interesting juvenile or variegated foliage; however, changing horticultural tastes and unfavourable economic circumstances marked a general downturn for the family’s horticultural fortunes (Frodin et al. 2003). Western perceptions of the exotic allure of China had waned and the rice paper trade declined (Nesbitt, Prosser & Williams 2010), and Tetrapanax papyrifer was considered too tender to be treated in Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles. It wasn’t until the 1990s that horticultural trends started to lean seriously back towards the exotic, with new introductions from Edward Needham pioneering the fashion for hardy architectural plants, particularly Araliaceae, in temperate climates, and Christopher Lloyd courting scandal by ripping out his old rose garden at Great Dixter and replacing it with an exotic garden to conjure ‘visions of the bizarre’ (Pavord 2014; Lloyd 2007; Hudson 2013). Tetrapanax papyrifer suited this new aesthetic perfectly; it is prized for its architectural qualities and dramatic foliage, with large sprays of fluffy cream pompom-like flowers which appear late in the season and are attractive to pollinators (Machado, Giannotti & Olivieri 1988). It gained an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS in 1993, and has maintained a firm fanbase amongst gardeners looking for tropical jungle effects in temperate climates – even Facebook has a dedicated ‘Tetrapanax Growers UK’ page administered by expert grower Steve Jacobs, former manager of Mulu Nurseries.

Although frost can damage the growing tip and cause plants to be deciduous, or perhaps relegated to the status of a gigantic herbaceous perennial in colder climates, Tetrapanax papyrifer is root-hardy once established, and has been observed to re-grow from suckers at the base (or lower down the stem) when cut back by air temperatures of –8° to –12°C. The species is reportedly variable in hardiness and habit, and this may be due to early seed collections being sourced from relatively low elevations, although such details are not well documented. In 2024, a survey of plant records from 154 collections showed Tetrapanax papyrifer to be cultivated successfully outside without winter protection in gardens in Germany and Belgium, and across the UK including Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and East Anglia, although it was more commonly cultivated in collections from the warmer south-east and milder south-west of England (Collings 2024). It is commonly reported in the southern United States and as an escapee in Florida (GBIF 2024; Perdue & Kraebel 1961; Dave’s Garden 2021). It is recommended that young plants are given some winter protection until the stem has developed woody growth, and in colder regions it is wise to plant it in a sheltered spot, which also prevents the foliage becoming tattered by wind.

The suckering habit of Tetrapanax papyrifer has led to fears of it becoming invasive, particularly in warmer climates. Doug Smith, curator of the National Collection of Araliaceae in Hampshire, UK, reports suckers pushing up through patio slabs, and plants at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens have been observed suckering at least 6 m from the parent plant (pers. obs.). Bamboo barriers may be helpful, or planting in a lawn where the suckers can be regularly mowed; it would be unwise to plant it outside a garden environment. Although it prefers a moist, well-drained rich soil, it tolerates a wide range of soils types; at Walmer Castle in Kent, Head Gardener Philip Oostenbrink grows six clones in a dry moat, on very well drained chalk and shingle, so successfully that they are applying for National Plant Collection status in 2025 (P. Oostenbrink, pers. comm.). However, it is commonly reported that winter wet and waterlogging may cause more damage than frost in British gardens.

Pests and diseases are rarely reported, although anthracnose and various leaf spot diseases have been observed for the first time in China, and Tortrix moth can occasionally be a problem (Tang et al. 2023; Wu et al. 2023; Jacobs 2022). It can be grown in full sun, but as a woodlander by nature it prefers some shade, especially when young, which will also have the effect of creating larger leaves; in full shade the plant may become straggly. Propagation is most easily carried out by splitting suckers from parent plants, or by root cuttings in March. It rarely sets seed in the UK: Steve Jacobs reports only 3 out of 1700 members of Tetrapanax Growers UK had seed after a mild autumn (pers. comm. 2025). Seed has a short viability of approximately 2 months, and should be surface-sown as fresh as possible (S. Jacobs pers. comm. 2025). Tissue culture of cultivars is becoming more common in commercial production: in 2025 Kevin Hobbs of Pinnacle Plants International reports they have 5000 tissue culture plants in production for general garden centre sales, which would have been unheard of several years ago.

Recent introductions of typically high elevation provenances have greatly diversified the cultivated population, and have no doubt helped to further popularise Tetrapanax papyrifer. In the wild the leaves are observed to become larger as elevation increases, whilst colonies become smaller (Avent 2008), leading to new introductions of larger-growing, hardier plants less prone to suckering. Cultivars named in recent years benefit from some combination of these characteristics, but so far as we have been able to deduce none of the known cultivar names represents a single genotype. Rather, cultivar names have been applied to groups of sister seedlings, therefore in this genus cultivar names denotes a particular provenance or race, but plants grown under the same cultivar name will exhibit some variation. The only sensible course of action in these circumstances is to treat all the cultivars as horticultural Groups (see below).

As new collections increase the genetic diversity of the cultivated population, along with a warming climate, Tetrapanax papyrifer looks set to remain a favourite amongst gardeners with a penchant for architectural foliage plants and gardens large enough to accommodate it. Growers are reminded, however, that Tetrapanax is known to cause unpleasant reactions with human skin, eyes and lungs due to its dense irritant hairs (M. Clifford & J. Grimshaw, pers. comms. 2025).