Balfour Aralia
Polyscias scutellaria 'Balfourii' — The Fussy But Rewarding Aralia
Light
Medium — needs proximity to a window or strong ambient light. Drops leaves rapidly in low light; avoid interior corridors without supplemental lighting.
Water
Very sensitive to both drought and overwatering — consistency is key. Leaf drop is the first sign of stress from erratic watering.
Humidity
Prefers moderate to high humidity. Leaf edges brown in dry winter heating.
Temperature
18–27°C (65–80°F). Keep away from cold drafts and heating vents.
Difficulty
Advanced
Sizes
Tabletop (under 3 ft) · Mid-floor (around 3.5 ft) · Floor specimen (4 ft+)
Balfour aralia — Polyscias scutellaria 'Balfourii' to botanists — is an upright shrub with round, leathery, dinner-plate-shaped leaves on woody stems, growing from compact tabletop sizes up to 3–4ft specimens with age. Its neat, rounded foliage gives it a tidier, more formal look than most tropical office plants. It's a slow grower, so a mature specimen represents real time invested.
In the Office
This is an advanced plant, not a beginner one — it's notoriously fussy and drops leaves in response to drafts, temperature swings, or even being moved to a new spot. It needs proximity to a window or strong ambient light and drops leaves rapidly if placed in an interior corridor without supplemental lighting. Keep it well away from HVAC vents and exterior doors, and be prepared to leave it in place once it's settled.
Why Choose This Plant
Benefits for Your Office
- Neat, rounded leathery leaves give a more formal, tailored look than typical tropical foliage
- Compact tabletop sizes are available alongside larger floor specimens, suiting different spaces
- A well-settled, mature specimen represents a real design investment, since it is slow-growing and not cheaply replaced
- Rounded leaf shape reads as distinct against the broad or split leaves most offices already have
Where to Place It
Office Placement Ideas
- 1
A stable spot near a window with consistent light, away from any door that opens to the outside
- 2
Executive offices or boardrooms with steady conditions, where it won't be moved or disturbed once placed
- 3
Away from corridors and HVAC vents, where drafts and temperature swings cause stress and leaf drop
How to Care for It
Care Tips for Office Environments
- Pinch the growing tips regularly to keep it bushy and stop it from getting leggy
- Remove yellowed or dropped leaves from the soil surface promptly to keep fungus gnats away
- Once you find a spot it likes, leave it there — drafts, temperature swings, and relocation all trigger leaf drop
- Check leaf undersides closely for spider mites and scale at every visit
Want Balfour Aralia in your office?
Our team will recommend the right variety and size for your space, deliver and install it, and keep it thriving with ongoing care.