Mature size & growth rate

How big does False Aralia (Plerandra elegantissima) get?

Also called False aralia, Spider aralia, Threadleaf aralia, Finger aralia.

More about false aralia

About False Aralia

Plerandra elegantissima · also called False aralia, Spider aralia · houseplant

False aralia is a fine-textured foliage houseplant from the South Pacific, prized for its slender, saw-toothed, coppery-to-near-black juvenile leaflets fanned out like fingers. Its defining care need is stability: it resents being moved, draughts, cold and sudden swings in light or watering, and responds to stress by dropping leaves.

Mature size: Typically 1.2-1.8 m tall as a houseplant with periodic pruning; in frost-free climates outdoors it can reach 6-8 m as a small tree.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

False Aralia is a tree at heart. Indoors a pot and your ceiling keep it to typically 1.2-1.8 m tall as a houseplant with periodic pruning, but in the ground it is a different scale of plant entirely (in frost-free climates outdoors it can reach 6-8 m as a small tree.). Indoors and in a pot, expect typically 1.2-1.8 m tall as a houseplant with periodic pruning. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — in frost-free climates outdoors it can reach 6-8 m as a small tree. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

It gains real height on a trunk or main stem, adding a tier of leaves a year and eventually reaching for the ceiling — this is a plant you grow up, not out.

Growth rate and years to mature

False Aralia is a moderate grower. Realistically, expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Its feeding profile backs this up: feed with a balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser diluted to half strength every 3-4 weeks through spring and summer, then stop in autumn and winter while growth is dormant. it is a light feeder; over-feeding causes weak, leggy growth and salt build-up, so flush the compost occasionally and never feed a dry or stressed plant.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the false aralia repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast false aralia grows.

How to keep false aralia smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For false aralia specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

The decisive tool is the secateurs: false aralia can be topped (cut the main growing tip) to cap its height and force a bushier, shorter shape.
Keeping it deliberately pot-bound in a snug container slows the whole plant and limits ultimate size.
Prune in spring so it heals fast; remove the tallest leader back to a node to reset the height.
Expect to top or hard-prune it every year or two — left alone it heads for the ceiling.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Pick the new height. Decide how tall you want false aralia and find a leaf node or branch point just below that.
Top the main stem. Cut the main growing tip cleanly just above that node in spring; this permanently caps the height and forces side branches.
Keep the pot snug. Avoid jumping to a much bigger pot — a slightly restricted rootball keeps the whole plant smaller.
Maintain the shape. Prune back the tallest new leaders each spring to hold it at the height you chose.

How to grow false aralia bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for false aralia the accelerators are:

It already wants the bright light it needs; warmth, a yearly pot-up and spring-summer feed are the accelerators.
Pot up a size every year or two while young; restricted roots are the main thing holding height back.
Feed regularly through the growing season and keep it warm — height comes from sustained good conditions.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The false aralia light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When false aralia outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for false aralia:

The top leaves pressing against or bent by the ceiling — the classic "this is now too tall indoors" sign.
It has to be moved away from a light source it has literally outgrown.
Roots filling the largest pot you can reasonably keep indoors — at that point it is top-or-prune or move it outside (if hardy).

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the false aralia repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the false aralia propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

False Aralia size — frequently asked questions

How big does false aralia get?

False Aralia reaches typically 1.2-1.8 m tall as a houseplant with periodic pruning when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (in frost-free climates outdoors it can reach 6-8 m as a small tree.). It gains real height on a trunk or main stem, adding a tier of leaves a year and eventually reaching for the ceiling — this is a plant you grow up, not out.

Is false aralia slow or fast growing?

False Aralia is a moderate grower. Expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. False Aralia is a tree at heart. Indoors a pot and your ceiling keep it to typically 1.2-1.8 m tall as a houseplant with periodic pruning, but in the ground it is a different scale of plant entirely (in frost-free climates outdoors it can reach 6-8 m as a small tree.).

How long does false aralia take to reach full size?

Roughly three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep false aralia smaller?

The decisive tool is the secateurs: false aralia can be topped (cut the main growing tip) to cap its height and force a bushier, shorter shape. Keeping it deliberately pot-bound in a snug container slows the whole plant and limits ultimate size. Prune in spring so it heals fast; remove the tallest leader back to a node to reset the height. Expect to top or hard-prune it every year or two — left alone it heads for the ceiling.

How can I make false aralia grow bigger or faster?

It already wants the bright light it needs; warmth, a yearly pot-up and spring-summer feed are the accelerators. Pot up a size every year or two while young; restricted roots are the main thing holding height back. Feed regularly through the growing season and keep it warm — height comes from sustained good conditions.