Radermachera sinica — a glossy, ferny-leaved indoor tree that fills out quickly. Bright light, even moisture, and it stays lush; let it dry out or move it and it tells you with a shower of leaflets.
China doll looks like nothing else on the houseplant bench: a small tree with layered, deeply divided, lacquer-glossy leaves that give it the texture of a fern at the scale of a shrub. It grows fast in a bright room and can be kept at two feet on a table or allowed to reach five as a floor plant. It is genuinely easy in the right spot — the reputation for fussiness comes from people moving it around.
Two things keep it happy: bright indirect light and soil that never dries out completely. Dry it out or shift it to a dimmer room and it drops leaflets for a week, then recovers once conditions settle. The rest of the bench is on our Houseplants page.
This is the china doll we commonly carry. Availability changes week to week and season to season, so call (480) 987-3308 or stop in to see what’s on the bench today.
Glossy, dark green, bipinnate leaves on a fast-growing upright plant. Pinch the tips to keep it dense and tabletop-sized, or let it grow into a five-foot indoor tree. Bright indirect light and even moisture.
Looking for one that isn’t listed? Ask — we can usually suggest a close match or tell you when it tends to come around.
The care tag was written somewhere else. This is the Queen Creek version.
China doll wants more light than most foliage plants: close to an east window, or bright filtered light from a south window all day. In a dim room it drops leaflets and grows sparse. Direct afternoon sun through west glass in summer scorches it, so filter that. Rotate the pot every couple of weeks so it grows evenly.
China doll drops leaves whenever its light or temperature changes: after coming home from the nursery, after a move to another room, after a cold draft. Pick a bright, warm, stable spot and leave it. It refoliates within weeks once it settles. Keep it away from air-conditioning and heater vents.
Feed a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength every three to four weeks from March through October. Pinch the growing tips regularly to keep the plant compact and bushy; without pinching it gets tall and thin. Repot every two years in spring.
Water when the top half-inch to inch of mix is dry, and don’t let the root ball dry out — that is the number-one cause of leaf drop. Every four to six days in summer indoors, weekly in winter. Well-draining mix and a pot with a hole, because soggy roots cause the same leaf drop from the other direction. Flush the pot every couple of months to clear hard-water salts.
Our 15–25 percent indoor humidity is tolerable but not ideal; browning leaflet tips mean the air is too dry. A pebble tray, grouping with other plants, or a bright bathroom or kitchen window helps. It grows fastest in the humid monsoon months.
Spider mites, scale and mealybugs in dry air; check the leaf undersides and stems monthly and treat with insecticidal soap. China doll is non-toxic to pets. Outdoors, a shaded covered patio in spring and fall only; it has no frost tolerance and dislikes wind.
Yellowing, spots, no new growth — snap a photo of the plant and its window and we’ll diagnose it at the bench. Advice is free.
We stock indoor potting mix, orchid bark and perlite for the chunky blends aroids and epiphytes want, balanced houseplant fertilizers, insecticidal soap and neem for the usual mealybug and mite visits, and moss poles, hoops and saucers. The pottery yard has terracotta, glazed and lightweight pots from 4-inch up, plus hanging baskets and cache pots.
It dried out, it was moved, or it is in a draft or too little light. Put it in a bright, warm, stable spot, keep the soil evenly moist, and leave it alone — new leaflets follow within a few weeks.
Bright indirect light all day — near an east window or filtered south light. It is one of the higher-light foliage plants and goes sparse in a dim room.
When the top half-inch to inch of soil is dry, every four to six days in summer indoors and weekly in winter. Never let it dry out completely, and never let it sit in water.
Yes — it is listed as non-toxic to pets.
Pinch the growing tips every few weeks. It responds by branching and staying dense; unpinched it grows tall and thin.
On a shaded, sheltered patio in spring and fall, yes. It cannot take direct sun, summer heat, wind or frost, so it is an indoor plant most of the year here.
China Doll live on the houseplant bench; any staff member can point you to them. Locally owned, and a short drive from San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.