First picture of the Rice Paper Plant taken on 5-1-09.
FAMILY: ARALIACEAE
GENUS: Tetrapanax
SPECIES: papyrifer
The Rice Paper Plant is a native of Taiwan and other East Asian countries where it grows as an evergreen shrub. In it’s native habitat of swamps, it can grow to a height of 20 feet! In America it is winter hardy in zones 6a-10b (-10 to 35 degrees F), but necessarily as an evergreen. In Mississippi, it dies back after a frost and comes up mainly from the ground.
Getting much bigger! Picture taken 6-3-09.
The rice paper, also called pith paper, is made from the pith of the plant. The stalks are boiled and the bark is them removed from the pith. The core of the pith is rolled on a hard flat surface against a knife and cut into thin sheets.
Picture taken 6-14-09.
These plants can fill up a large area FAST! I had planted my first crop of ‘Top Crop” Bush Green Beans in a raised bed several feet away from the Rice Paper Plants. By the time the beans were finished, the Rice Paper Plants had nearly covered them.
Picture of a HUGE leaf with a quarter on it. Picture taken 6-14-09.
I measured the leaf with the quarter on it, and it was 30 inches across!
Picture taken June 28, 2010.
As you can see, these plants will literally take over! They were growing all along the front of the old covered patio. At least they hid it!
Picture of the fuzzy looking stalks taken 8-9-08.
I was trying to get a shot of the fuzzy looking leaves. They have kind of a wet texture, but it will come off easily if you touch it. VERY STRANGE!!! These plants are poison and can cause skin irritation may cause allergic reaction.
Picture taken on September 3, 2009.
They actually make a very nice tall and exotic looking plant. They have been coming up all over the back yard within 20 feet or more of the big ones.
This picture is by the corner of the old patio. Picture taken 9-3-09.
It was kind of funny, but when we first came here, all that remained of these plants were the dead stalks from 2008 season. I had no idea what they were, but the grandson of the former owner told me they were Japanese Rice Paper Plants… He told me that they would come up all over the yard. They certainly did!
Picture taken after the frost. 12-18-09.
The plants had buds, but I don’t believe the blooms really opened up before the frost on December 5. The frost sure took care of this “evergreen” shrub from Taiwan! Don’t worry, they will be back in the Spring!
They mainly spread from under ground rhizomes, but I think the plants coming up out in the yard are surely from seed.
If you have the space, and the right spot, these plants are awesome! If you don’t have the space, don’t plant them… They will drive you nuts!
