Tree ivy
× Fatshedera lizei
Also called Aralia ivy, Botanical wonder and Fatshedera
Houseplant · Trees & big statementsA cross between two genera, which is rare enough to be its own selling point — a Japanese aralia crossed with common ivy. It kept the ivy's leaf and the aralia's upright stem, and it will grow where almost nothing else will.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Once a weekDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Medium indirect to full shade — it takes a dark corner
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Half-hardy — a light frost RHS H3, to -5°C
- Size
- 1.2 m tall · 1 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- A garden hybrid, raised in Nantes in 1912
Is it safe for pets and people?
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling and abdominal pain. Not listed under its own name — this follows Hedera helix, which is.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
A cross between Fatsia japonica, which ASPCA clears, and Hedera helix, which ASPCA lists toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Nobody has tested the hybrid. It takes the ivy's answer, which is the cautious half of its parentage.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-08-05.
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
- The stem gets too long for itself and lies down. It has no way to stay upright past about a metre — either stake it or cut it back to a stub in spring.Falling over · disorder
- Dull stippled leaves and webbing in the leaf joints, in a dry heated room.Glasshouse red spider mite · pest