Polyscias cumingiana aka Polyscias Cumingiana

Polyscias cumingiana is a shrub or small tree that stays green. It belongs to the Araliaceae family. Kew gives its home range as the Philippines to the southwestern Pacific. Useful Tropical Plants gives a smaller range, reaching New Guinea. That source says long use in gardens has blurred its native range. People grow it in settled parts of eastern Malaysia and farther east. It grows both in the wild and in gardens.

The plant grows to about 13 feet [4 metres] tall. It has a woody frame and keeps its leaves year-round. It has few side branches, which give it a sparse shape. Some plants may have no side branches at all. Useful Tropical Plants says its overall look is coarse. Growers prize forms whose leaves split into fine parts for their looks. The supplied species accounts give no detailed account of its bark. They give no flower or fruit details for this species either. The RHS describes these traits only for the genus as a whole.

Wild plants grow in rainforest and where plants have grown back. Most grow on low ground. Some reach heights of 5,580 feet [1,700 metres] above sea level. This fits Kew's record of a wet tropical climate. Useful Tropical Plants reports good growth in humid tropical and subtropical areas. The evidence does not say how much cold it can bear. Nor does it say if the plant can stand frost. It gives no clear needs for light, soil, or water. These gaps limit what we can say about its garden care.

The young leaves serve as food and add to its looks. People cook them as a vegetable or use them for flavour. Useful Tropical Plants says their use is popular in Southeast Asia. It lists no known hazards but does not assess pet safety. It records no known use of this species as medicine. The same account reports its use as a hedge. The editor doubts this claim since the plant has so few branches. The report may concern a different species. Its use as a hedge thus remains in doubt.

Growers can raise plants from seed, softwood cuttings, or air-layering. They can also use leafless stem pieces during the growing season. The account gives no further steps for these methods. It names no pests or diseases to watch for. The best-supported uses are for show through its leaves and as a cooked leafy vegetable.