Aralia Kiev

Fatsia japonica, known as Fatsi or Japanese Aralia (also occasionally as glossy-leaved paper plant, false castor oil plant, fig-leaf palm), is a shrub growing to 3-6 m tall. The leaves have 7-9 broad lobes, divided to half or two-thirds of the way to the base of the leaf; the lobes are edged with coarse, blunt teeth. It is native to southern Japan. The name "Fatsi" is older Japanese, meaning 'eight' (in present-day Japanese hachi), referring to the eight lobes. The name "Japanese Aralia" is due to the genus formerly being classified within a broader interpretation of the related genus Aralia in the past (synonyms include Aralia japonica and Aralia sieboldii). It is a popular garden shrub in areas where winters do not fall below about -15°C.