Fatsia japonica is the answer to the hardest question in planting: what gives tropical-scale drama in deep shade, outdoors, all year? Those enormous glossy, hand-shaped leaves look like they belong in a jungle; the plant is in fact hardy, evergreen and one of the easiest things we sell.
Position
Shade to bright indirect light — a north-facing wall, a shaded courtyard, a basement lightwell, the gloomy corner where nothing else has worked. Its one dislike is strong wind, which tatters the big leaves, and harsh midday sun, which yellows them. The darker, more sheltered corner is very often the better one.
Hardiness
Fully hardy in the UK — established plants take around −12°C — and evergreen, holding its structure through winter when the rest of the garden has gone to sleep. A hard frost may briefly wilt the leaves dramatically; they recover as they thaw. Young or potted plants appreciate shelter from the worst freezes in their first winter.
Watering
Fatsia likes steady, even moisture — thirstier than most architectural plants. In pots, water regularly through the growing season and don't let it dry right out: a parched fatsia wilts theatrically, then bounces back within hours of a drink, but repeated droughting costs it lower leaves. Ease off, without stopping entirely, through winter.
Feeding
Feed monthly from spring to late summer with a balanced fertiliser — this is what produces those oversized, deep-green, glossy leaves. Underfed plants stay healthy but grow smaller foliage.
Pruning
Rarely needed. Remove tired lower leaves as they age out, and if a plant gets leggy over the years, a hard cut back in spring regenerates it from the base.
Good to know
In autumn, mature fatsias produce spherical white flower heads like fireworks frozen mid-burst — an unexpected bonus, and one of the last feasts of the year for pollinators. It's equally content indoors in a cool, shaded room, making it one of the few plants that can move between house and garden as your spaces change.
