We’ve long enjoyed the tropical-looking Arailia family genus, Tetrapanax…in spite of it’s root suckering tendancies. You would think that plants that root suckered would be easy to propagate, but that’s interestingly not always the case. The common form of rice paper plant, which dies to the ground each winter in our climate, isn’t a problem, but the clone, Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’ has presented us with constant challenges, since it fails miserably from root cuttings. Finally, a new selection, Tetrapanax ‘Rex’, has entered the market, with the height of Tetrapanax ‘Steroidal Giant’, and better propagation tendancies.
Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Rex’ has a bit of a muddled taxonomic past, but the plant itself is fabulous. It originated with a wild collection, made in Taiwan, by our friends at Crug Farm, under the number BSWJ1925. This clone has a much more dense beige indumentum on the leaf back. The plant was subsequently named by UK plantsman, Paul Spraklin. For us, Tetrapanax ‘Rex’ is much more winter hardy than the typical species, and has much larger, more ruffled leaves. Our plant of Tetrapanax ‘Rex’ forms flower stalks in October, where the typical species never does in our climate. The leaves on T. ‘Rex’ measure 32″ wide, while the leaves on the typical species measures on 17″ wide. The leaf petioles also are much longer; 3′ compared to only 15″ on the typical species.
The common name, rice paper plant is because the pith from the trunks is used to make Chinese rice paper artwork, which was originally thought by Western travelers, to be made with rice. Hardiness Zone 7b-10b. We plan to offer T. ‘Rex’ in 2027.
