Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace' is my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…

As we enter this time of short, mostly wet days it’s the plants I can see from the windows and doors (as I come and go) that get the most admiration. This is the view from one of our bedroom windows as I make the bed each morning…

Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace' or as I’ve read it called on UK plant forums Fatsia Polycarpa Edward Needham form.

Here’s the view from the driveway into the back garden. There’s no missing this plant whether you’re inside the house or headed out to the car!

The reason it’s planted so prominently (literally “in your face” if you’re walking into the back garden) is because it was only a tiny thing when I brought it home in March of 2011 (below, a gift from Sean at Cistus Nursery) and I wanted to be able to see those gorgeous leaves…clearly not a problem anymore!

This plant seems to still be rare and as such it was hard to track down much information to share with you. However in my experience it’s quite comparable to the better known Fatsia japonica, in other words easy schmeezy. Here’s a description I found from the UK, on eBay of all places - auction ended May 19, 2013:

RARELY SEEN HERE IN THE UK - Edward Needham Form
Fantastic unusual plant new to cultivation in the UK, endemic to the high hills of Taiwan this hardy evergreen is a must for all those who know and love plants. Like the more easily found Fatsia japonica, it can grow tall (perhaps 3-5 metres like a small tree) in sun or partial shade. There are 2 plants in the picture - my own larger one which is to give a good idea of how yours will be after it ages a bit more and to see the beautiful dark leaves which become huge with about 5-10 lobes per leaf divided nearly to the base. The plant I'm selling is the one next to it which is well rooted in a 3.5" pot. Apologies for the damp photo - this is Cornwall at the moment! Grown predominantly for its exotic year round leaves there are small white flowers which appear in dense panicles in the autumn.
(the auction photo is still up if you want to see it, I wasn't able to copy it)

Why do I love this plant? The deeply cut leaves primarily, but the color variations in the foliage is lovely as well. The new leaves emerge a bright fresh green…

And eventually age to a darker green which makes the yellow veins all that more prominent.

Heck I even love the trunk, now that it has one.

I’ve been toying with the idea of moving it this spring, since it is a little close to the walkway. Then again as it grows taller and loses its lower leaves it won’t be a problem. So what plants are you grateful for in your garden this week?

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