HOUSE PLANT OR TREE?

China Doll plant can be both

November 22, 2019



PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SUZANNE LABRECQUE/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

When planted in the garden, China Doll plants can grow as tall as 25 to 30 feet as an evergreen that blooms large sulphur-yellow, bell-shaped flowers.  Victoria County Master Gardener Debbe Busbee is shown in her back yard next to the 15- to 20-foot China Doll she planted from a small shrub size.  It is very healthy and happy in its location with mixed light and moist, well-draining soil.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SUZANNE LABRECQUE/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

The China Doll shown centered in this basket of plants is often a focal point with its beight and bushy shape.  It can do well outside in mixed light, with regular watering and moderate fertilizing.  It will need to be pruned to remain a container plant or planted iin the garden it will do well placed near a fence or wall as it needs protection from wind.

Pointers on China Doll Plant (Radermachera sinica)

•  Native to Southern China
•  Also known as house ash, serpent or emerald tree
•  Delicate-looking, bushy houseplant
•  Has finely-divided, glossy leaves
•  Shrub-like plant growing between 4- and 6-feet tall
•  Will not bloom as houseplant
•  Will not tolerate drafts, frost or cigarette smoke
•  Lets you know by dropping its leaves
•  Can grow to 20-30 feet in garden; bell-shaped, soft yellow blooms
•  Plant near a fence or wall to protect from wind

For more information

Online:

www.costafarms.com/plants/china-doll

www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/china-doll

In print:

Donaldson, S. and McHoy, P. Container Gardening, Anness Publishing Ltd. 2003, pg 470.

Heitz, H. Indoor Plants, Barron’s, pg. 182.



PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER SUZANNE LABRECQUE

The China Doll plant is popularly known for its dainty leaf appearance.  As a bushy houseplant or container plant indoors or out, it has noticeable finely divided, glossy leaves.  Although these plants are decorative, they will not bloom as houseplants.

Last March, I purchased a container with four plants. I knew three of them – dichondra, coleus and pothos ivy, but one was a mystery.

A houseplant or a tree

My master gardener friend Debbe told me it was a China doll plant that could be either a houseplant or a tree. She planted her China doll in her backyard and now it is more than 20 feet tall with a thick trunk.

My container of plants resided under the Rangoon creeper on our patio this spring and summer. It had morning sun, afternoon shade, regular watering and moderate fertilizing. However, as the Rangoon creeper grew around and over this container, we didn’t notice its growth. Suddenly this fall, the China doll plant was 4 feet tall, bending and spreading. It needed pruning to stay a container or houseplant.

Indoors and out

The China doll is a popular, delicate-looking, bushy houseplant that has finely-divided, glossy leaves. China dolls are shrub-like growing between 4 and 6 feet tall. Although these plants are decorative, they will not bloom as houseplants.

In USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, when planted in the garden China doll plants will grow 25- to 30-feet tall as a small evergreen with large sulphur-yellow, bell-shaped flowers.

• Leaves drop with drafts, frost, smoke or wind

China doll plants will not tolerate drafts, frost or cigarette smoke and let you know by dropping their leaves. To protect these plants from wind, plant them near a fence or wall.

Light

These plants need a daily minimum of five to six hours of bright, indirect light.

• Need light just right

Avoid direct intense sunlight. If China doll plants do not get enough light, they become lanky and need pruning to encourage more bushy growth.

Watering

China doll plants need moist well-draining soil. Water them when their topsoil is dry to the touch. To prevent root rot, be careful not to overwater. They thrive when fertilized once or twice a month spring through fall.

• Diluted fertilizer can be used when watering

One gardener reported in a YouTube video that she weekly waters her China doll plants with diluted fertilizer all year. This practice keeps her plant bushy and strong.

• Prefer gradual change, root-bound roots, reduced watering after trimming

China doll plants do not like change. They grow best when their roots are root-bound. To keep it growing in a well-balanced way, turn the plant about a quarter-turn after watering it, so its new light is a gradual change.

If the China doll plant drops its leaves, do not worry. The leaves will grow back if you trim the stems back by one-half to two-thirds. After this trimming, China doll plants are more vulnerable to root rot, so reduce your watering schedule for a few weeks.

Pruning

Regular pruning is an important part of caring for China doll plants in containers or as houseplants.

• Practice proactive trimming

Trimmed or pruned any time of year, it is important to trim China doll plants before they look like they need it. It is easier to encourage proper growth than it is to correct problems.

A leggy China doll plant has too much space between branches and leaves and looks bare. Prune this plant every few months to prevent this problem. To prune, select one long stem and cut it back. It is important to remove all brittle, bare stems and those growing in the wrong direction. New growth will begin just below the cut.

• Pruning may be necessary to prevent long, floppy branches

If branches on the China doll become long and floppy, more severe pruning may be necessary. Trim back several small side branches where they attach to a main lateral stem. To prevent leaving stubs, cut where the sharp blade is flush with the strong stem.

Propagation

The pruned cuttings can be used to start new China doll plants.

• Use specified cuttings

Since this plant is finicky, propagation needs to follow certain processes. For example, only use green stem cuttings, not woody ones. Use cuttings that are between 3 inches and 6 inches in length.

• Follow steps

Place green China doll cuttings into damp potting soil. Cover the tops of the pots with clear plastic bags to maintain balanced moisture levels. China doll cuttings need humidity to develop roots. Move the cuttings to a bright location with indirect sunlight like a sunroom or greenhouse. In three to four weeks the cuttings should have put out roots and can be transplanted to new containers.

China Doll plants add a beautiful, lacy, tall and elegant addition to containers and houseplant collections. And you may even want to plant one outdoors as it matures. Try one indoors or out.

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.