I am intrigued by variegated plants and Fatsia japonica "Spiderweb" is an excellent example. Each leaf has white flecks, patches and veins. I only have one plant but each leaf is different. Here are some photos taken of it today.
The plant is grown in partial shade which keeps the green parts of the leaf nice and dark and prevents the white parts from burning in the sun.
Some are even all white!
Big leaves AND variegation - gets my juices going! Have you seen the book by Ronald Houtman 'Variegated Trees and Shrubs' - its a feast of goodies many of which I've never seen! It was published by Timber Press in 2004 and may well be out of print. I managed to get an ex library copy from Amazon here in the USA.
ReplyDeleteI love this...it's a true individualist! I have the perfect spot for one too. Are they as large as the all-green variety; i.e. would I have to pot it for my teeny tiny plot?
ReplyDeleteHi Sue, They don't grow quite as fast as the plain green japonica but should still make a 3-4 foot shrub at least. I've never seen a huge one.
ReplyDeleteHi Ian, I haven't seen that book but sounds right up my street. I will look out for it. Variegated plants are not to everyones tastes but I love them!
Nice Fatsia! I don't have it, but would like it!
ReplyDeleteBy coincidence, today I was given a plant of Fatsia japonica 'variegata' by a friend. The variegation is attractive, but nothing compared to 'Spiders Web'.
Hi Ben,
DeleteYes if I had to choose between them both, Spider's web would win every time.
New growth is now emerging.