FOR those that were fed castor oil as children, the name probably sends shivers down your spine.
There is no need to panic as Fatsia japonica cannot be used to harvest that strange elixir that some of us were given in our younger days.
Castor oil is extracted from the seeds of Ricinus communis.
Fatsia japonica is known as the false Castor Oil plant, but the only connection between the two plants is their large palmate leaves.
Originally from South Korea and Japan, Fatsia japonica, a hardy, evergreen shrub, can reach upwards of 4 metres (13’) high and wide and so needs to be given a quiet corner of the garden to get on with creating its full architectural effect.
It is suited to semi-shaded parts of the garden and is just coming into flower now like its close relative, Hedera helix (Common English Ivy).
The flowers will be pollinated by bees, flies and butterflies throughout late September and October, giving them a useful late fix of pollen and/or nectar.
Once pollinated the flowers will go on to produce large clusters of black fruit in late winter and early spring that are much loved by blackbirds.
There are one or two interesting cultivars to look out for including F. j. ‘Aurea’ with gold-variegated leaves and a slower than normal rate of growth, F. j. ‘Marginata’ with white-marginated grey-green leaves and F. j. ‘Moseri’ that has a compact habit.
