Fukien tea

Identification and origin

Ehretia microphylla belongs to the Boraginaceae, the borage family. It was long placed in a genus of its own, under the names Carmona retusa or Carmona microphylla, which are still widely used in the trade and in bonsai. Its common name comes from the Chinese province of Fujian (Fukien), where it is highly prized for penjing, the Chinese art of potted landscapes.

Its natural range is vast: southeastern China, Hainan, Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands, India and Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, all of Malaysia and Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It has naturalized elsewhere, including Hawaii, the Mariana Islands, Samoa and Singapore.

It is a medium-sized, well-branched shrub or small tree, usually 3.5–10 ft tall and at most 13 ft. Its growth rate is moderate. The trunk starts out thin with light brown bark and thickens slowly; with age, the bark turns grayish beige and becomes fissured.

The alternate leaves, often clustered in threes to fives, are small: 1–2 in long and 0–1 in wide, on a very short stalk. Obovate, thick and slightly rough, glossy dark green, they carry tiny white hairs on the upper surface and a few teeth toward the tip. The tip is often slightly notched, which gave rise to the old name retusa. The foliage is evergreen in cultivation, but the shrub can shed some leaves during drought.

The white, star-shaped flowers, about 0–0 in across, open in the leaf axils in small clusters of two to six. They can appear almost year-round when conditions suit the plant. They are followed by round, glossy drupes 0–0 in across that ripen red or orange-red and hold a stone with up to four seeds.

Light

In the tropics it grows in full sun, as a hedge, in beds or in containers. Indoors it needs a lot of light: set it right next to a bright window. A grow light makes up for low light in winter; hung about 6 in above the plant, it can stay on for up to twelve hours a day.

Avoid continuous direct sun through glass, however: indoors, about one hour of full sun a day is enough. Outdoors in summer, give it morning or late-afternoon sun and bright light the rest of the day.

Watering

Its water needs are moderate, but it dislikes both drought and excess water. Do not water on a fixed schedule: as soon as the surface of the soil dries, water generously, then empty the saucer. The root ball should stay moist but never soggy.

Shriveling leaves mean it is thirsty: water right away. If the dry spell lasts, they turn black and drop, and regrowth takes one to two months. Hard water encourages chlorosis, so prefer soft water.

It likes high humidity. In winter, dry heated air weakens it: stand the pot on a wide tray of gravel or clay pebbles kept moist.

Potting mix

It is not fussy about soil type as long as drainage is perfect. In containers, choose a mix that drains well while holding some moisture, for example akadama with a little organic matter and pumice. Compacted, soggy soil causes root rot, the most common problem. Imported plants often come in compact clay, which should be replaced at the first repotting.

Temperature

It lives outdoors year-round only in very warm climates, in USDA zones 10 and 11. Elsewhere it is a houseplant for most of the year. Ideally keep it within 59–77 °F, around 68 °F, with a temperature as steady as possible. Never leave it below 54 °F for long.

It can spend the summer outdoors once nights stay warm. Get it used to the open air gradually, and bring it back in by stages before nights turn cool: first a spot cooler than its summer place, then a relatively cool room, and finally its winter spot. When you air out the house in winter, protect it from cold air.

Repotting

Repot every two years in spring, as growth resumes. Its roots are sensitive, so prune them cautiously and sparingly. Do not fertilize for the following two weeks.

The rest of the year, feed every two weeks from spring to fall and once a month in winter. Solid organic fertilizer is gentle on its roots; use liquid fertilizer at a measured dose, always on moist soil.

Pruning

It takes pruning very well, even hard pruning, at any time of year as long as it is healthy. Regular trimming makes the branching denser; its naturally compact habit means it can be shaped without wire. Older twigs are hard and brittle: cut with clean, sharp tools and seal fresh wounds with cut paste, because a fungus can sometimes get in through them.

As a bonsai it is not a beginner’s species, but it is one of the most free-flowering; its naturally small leaves need no defoliation.

Propagation

Sow seed as soon as it is ripe. Softwood cuttings root in summer.

Common problems

One symptom can have several causes, so always check soil moisture and light first.

• Yellowing foliage: often overwatering or poorly draining soil; with hard water, chlorosis, treated with an iron fertilizer.
• Leaves that shrivel, then turn black and drop: lack of water.
• Pests: spider mites, scale insects and whiteflies, especially on a plant short of light or humidity. Treat if needed, but above all correct the growing conditions.
• Diseases: rarely, a fungus entering through a pruning wound kills a branch or even the whole plant.

Toxicity

No toxicity has been reported: Fukien tea does not appear among the plants listed as toxic to dogs and cats by veterinary references. Still, keep children and pets from chewing on any part of it.