Rice Paper Tree

We are thinking about buying a Rice Paper tree, I know they grow quickly. Be interested to hear views from anyone who has one please.

 

Are we talking about tetrapanax? I think that's called the rice paper tree. If it is then yes they can grow quite quickly and get very large but they can also be cut down from a really cold winter if you live in a cold area, so growth can be hard to define. It does mean they come back from heavy pruning.
They sucker, so need space but they are manageable if you have space for a small/medium sized tree.

 

Thank you for that, we hardly ever get frosts here and have plenty of room so think we'll give one a try.

 

I've got a few and a few suckers which I usually hit with glyphosate when small.

They get big even tree like, so need ample space.

I was once told that if you get the cultivar named "rex" they don't sucker, but I was told that by someone wanting to sell me one at a stupid price, so not convinced that it is true.

 

My understanding is they don't sucker as much as bog standard t. papyrifer.
I'm on my umpteenth try with them...this time from fresh seeds from the rex variant.
I have 30 + germinated so far, it remains to be seen if I can keep the bleedin' things alive long enough to test the suckering theory!

 

Ours is Rex and in 20 years or so it's only suckered twice. The determining factor for that experience is probably because it's been in a pot for all that time, so gets no root disturbance. It seems happy in the pot but it's definitely cut back it's vigour as one a similar age nearby in someone's garden is two stories high and at least three multiple trees surrounded by babies (it obviously has just been left to do its thing).

 

Were wondering if we could plant one in a large pot, thank you. Husband actually bought one this afternoon. Thank you.