China doll
Radermachera sinica
Also called Serpent tree and Emerald tree
Houseplant · Trees & big statementsGrown in a greenhouse on growth retardant and dumped into a living room, which is why the first thing it does at home is shoot up leggy and drop its lower leaves. Pinch every shoot back hard for the first year and it makes a decent bush.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 6 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average to high
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 1.5 m tall · 0.8 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- Southern China and Taiwan
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-08-05. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- It shoots up thin and drops its lower leaves within weeks of coming home — the growth retardant it was grown on has worn off. Pinch every tip out and it recovers.Leggy first season · disorder
- Whole leaflets shower off with any move or any drop in humidity. It wants damp air more than it wants water.Leaf drop from dry air · disorder