Rice paper plant (Tetrapanax papyrifer)

Also known as: aralia, figleaf palm

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Rice paper plant is a shrub with very large lobed leaves. It is an environmental weed that can outcompete native plants

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How does this weed affect you?

Rice-paper plant is an environmental weed that:

can outcompete some native plants
forms dense thickets
has fine sharp hairs that can cause skin irritations.

What does it look like?

Rice paper plant is a large, hairy shrub up to 4 m high.

Leaves are:

darker green on the top side (hairy when young, often hairless when older)
paler and hairy on the underside with distinctive veins
14–55 cm long and 8–28 cm wide
lobed with 7–9 main lobes (lobes sometimes toothed or have secondary lobes)
on stalks 5–55 cm long.

Flowers are:

white [WG1] with 4 or 5 tiny petals
grouped together in woolly, ball-like clusters which are about 1.5 cm in diameter
present in spring and summer.

Fruit are:

small round berries
black when ripe
3-4 mm in diameter.

Stems are:

densely hairy when young
less hairy or hairless when older
scarred where the leaves fall off.

Similar looking plants

Rice paper plant looks similar to:

Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), which is also a weed. It has similar large, lobed leaves but they are often red when young and blue green when older. The fruit are spiny and egg shaped and the female flowers are bright red.
Pawpaw or papaya (Carica papaya) plants. Although the leaves and young trunks look similar, the flowers are larger, solitary and in the leaf forks and the fruit are much larger, over 0.5 kg.

Where is it found?

In NSW, rice paper plant has been found in the North Coast, Hunter and Greater Sydney regions.

Rice paper plant is native to Taiwan in eastern Asia.

What type of environment does it grow in?

Plants grow best in loam soils, rich in organic matter with a pH of 6.6 to 7.5. They also grow on clay or gravelly soil. Rice paper plants tolerate shade and have been found growing along the edges of rainforests.

How does it spread?

Plants have been intentionally planted in NSW since the mid 1800s.

By seeds

Birds eat the berries and spread the seeds in their droppings.

By plant parts

Rice paper plants sucker from underground stems and form dense thickets.

References

Bennett, G. (1865). Observations on the “rice paper tree"(Tetrapanax papyriferum) now naturalised in Sydney, NS Wales. University of Tasmania Open Access. Retrieved 10 June 2026 from: https://eprints.utas.edu.au/14989/

Giannattasio M, Pizzolongo P, Cristaudo A, et al. 1996. Contact dermatitis from Tetrapanax papyriferum trichomes. Contact Dermatitis 35(2):106-107

New Zealand Weed Busters. (2026). Weed information sheet: Rice-paper plant. Retrieved 10 June 2026 from: https://www.weedbusters.org.nz/what-are-weeds/weed-list/rice-paper-plant/

Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk. (2010). Risk assessment: Tetrapanax papyrifer. Retrieved 10 June 2026 from: http://www.hear.org/pier/wra/pacific/tetrapanax_papyrifer_htmlwra.htm

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 10 June 2026 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Tetrapanax~papyrifer

More information

PlantNET NSW FloraOnline, Tetrapanax papyrifer . Royal Botanical Gardens and Domain Trust.

Control

Prevention

To prevent rice paper plants from spreading into natural areas, do not plant them in gardens.

Physical removal

Small plants may be pulled out by hand. Dig out larger plants, ensuring that all of the roots are removed.

Herbicide control

Spot spraying

Spray actively growing plants. Cover all of the foliage with the herbicide.

Basal barking

Apply herbicide mixed with diesel to cover all the way around the lower stem. Check both the permit and label for details.

Splatter gun

Splatter guns use small amounts of concentrated herbicide. They spray large droplets that limit spray drift. They are useful for very dense infestations of weeds that are difficult to reach.

Cut stump method

Cut trunks or stems and apply herbicide to the stump within 15 seconds.

Weed wipers

Use, wipers or wands apply herbicide directly onto leaves. This method is suitable for small infestations of short plants that are growing close to desired vegetation.

Herbicide options

WARNING - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au

See Using herbicides for more information.

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 500 mL to 1 L per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 35 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal bark
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 300 to 600 mL per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 21 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal bark
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 50 parts water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 1.5 parts water
Comments: Cut scrape and paint
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 9 parts water
Comments: Splatter gun
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 20 parts water
Comments: Wipe onto leaves
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 - 20 g per 100 L water plus surfactant
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 g per 1 L of water plus surfactant
Comments: Wipe onto leaves
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

For technical advice and assistance with identification please contact your local council weeds officer.

Reviewed 2026