i bought this from the local home depot. i like the way it looks, with the leaves making two layers. i'm wondering what it is, and how i should take care of it? will it continue to grow taller and fuller, or is this the size it is going to stay? i've noticed that there is wax on the stem where it was cut, on all four of the stems actualy. what is the purpose of doing this? thanks for your help!
Polyscias fruticosa. It will get larger - all woody plants do. Sorry, no idea why they put wax on it! Maybe some arcane religious ritual? It isn't necessary for the health of the plant.
From what I've found it's Grafting wax used to seal the cut of the plant. Probably to prevent disease and pests from the open wound. I always thought it was to stop it from growing taller!!
That 'wax' also seems to prevent the cut portion from withering after it's cut, which, in turn, keeps it more 'attractive'.
None of those reasons are really justified - the plant would do just as well without the wax. The wax can even seal in diseases in a moister environment, making things worse than if the cut end can dry off naturally. So it comes back to it being an arcane religious ritual ;-)
thats an interesting reason. i have to believe that the plant is mass produced for the stores so they seal the tops so the largest number survive the shipping process. im not the biggest fan of the box top stores but they often have very nice and interesting plants for sale.
it is a cut sealer often used in bonsai where trees are cut at a desires point and the sealant is applied to prevent dieback, normaly a cut will bleed and the stem will die back a ittle ways, although a little spray with water will do the same with most woody plants
