Bold evergreen Japanese shrub with very large glossy palmate leaves and unusual rounded umbel flower clusters in late autumn followed by black berries. The premier large-leaved foliage shrub for shade.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 8–10 | −12.2 °C to 4.4 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H4 | −10 °C to −5 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 8–9 | −7 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 3–6 | −5 °C to 15 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Native to coastal southern Japan and Taiwan
- Tolerates dappled to deep shade — among the few large-leaved shrubs that succeeds in really shady positions
- Late autumn flowers are a useful late-season pollinator forage when little else is in bloom
- Variegated cultivars (‘Variegata’, ‘Spider’s Web’) widely planted but generally less hardy than the species
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Japanese aralia against your zones