Everything About Growing Clusia Plants

Clusia Plants are great for tabletop or shelf display – making them a perfect addition indoors!

Clusia Plants are lovely mini specimens that you can grow inside your home. With beautiful foliage, easy care, and flowers, what’s not to like?

---

Clusia Plant Information

The Clusia Plant is also known as the Autograph Tree and is a genus with nearly 300-400 species. These beautiful plants are actually native to tropical Americas and the Caribbean but are widely grown as ornamental plants in India.

These are small to medium-sized plants with evergreen, leathery leaves. Some of these also give lovely flowers of white, cream, pink, red, and even yellow colors. Clusias plants can be wonderful indoor and outdoor plants if you know how to take care of them. Fortunately, we’ll guide you everything about growing them.

Botanical Name: Clusia rosea

Common Names: Autograph tree, copey, cupey, balsam apple, pitch-apple, and scotch attorney

---

Propagating Clusia Plants

Clusias are easily propagated through cuttings. Now you can do this in water and soil. Just snip a healthy stem that has 2-3 good leaves and snip it below the node.

Take a glass jar with clean water (get rainwater if you can) and place the cutting inside it so the cut end is submerged underwater. Keep the jar in bright, indirect sunlight and change the water every 2-3 days. In about 4-5 weeks, the roots will grow 3-4 cm – and that’s when you can transplant it into a pot or your garden.

If you plant the cutting directly in a pot, cover it with a clear plastic bag so it stays warm and humid. Once the growth starts, you can continue to care for it.

Don’t miss out on these Indoor Plants that Grow in Water

---

Best Clusia Varieties to Grow

• Clusia rosea (Autograph Tree, Pitch Apple): This is the most common species grown as a houseplant and has unique leaf markings.
• Clusia guttifera (Mammee Apple): Mammee Apple is another Clusia plant type you can find in India. It has simple green leaves and an elegant look.
• Clusia rosea ‘Nana’: If you’re growing it indoors or in containers, you can go with this dwarf Clusia variety.

---

Requirements to Grow Clusia Plants

Sunlight

Bright, indirect light is key for growing Clusia plants. You should aim for dappled sunlight outdoors. If you’re growing it indoors, keep it near an east or west-facing window. Protect it from the harsh midday sun during summer (April – June).

Soil

These plants need leaner soil that does not retain too much moisture. Gather the following things.

• 2 parts garden soil
• 1 part perlite for drainage
• 1 part coarse sand for airflow around the roots

Mix all of these, and the soil mix will make sure your Clusia plants grow big and strong.

Water

Clusia plants need moderate watering – it has to be just right. Just check the top inch of soil, and if it’s dry, water the plant. Overwatering is a big no-no for Clusia plants, especially during India’s humid months, because it will lead to root rot.

Climate

A temperature of 18-27°C is ideal for most Clusia types. They also love high humidity, so you should give them a good misting during the dry seasons.

You should also try Growing Ring of Fire Plant in India

---

Clusia Plant Care

Fertilizer

Cow dung (गोबर खाद) can be a good fertilizer for your Clusia but don’t use fresh cow dung as it is too strong. You should go for well-composted cow dung solution (1 part per 10 parts of water) and apply this mixture to the soil.

Do it during the growing season from March to October – avoid during winter months.

Pruning

Clusia plants don’t need pruning that much, but you can do it to maintain the shape. Remove dead, diseased, and overgrown branches, and that too in the growing season.

Pests and Diseases

Keep an eye out for common pests like scale, spider mites, and mealybugs. You can use neem oil to get rid of these. Also, don’t overwater your Clusia tree.

If the place where you grow the plant is humid, it can lead to leaf spots. So take care of proper drainage and don’t wet the leaves. Only do misting when it’s dry.