I have a total crush on this plant. Small shiny green leaves emerge early in Spring and last surprisingly long into Winter. Many archin...Read Moreg, thorny branches emerge from the ground and eventually tip layer like a blackberry if left unattended. Doesn't get much over 6 feet unless pruned into an upright form or arching over other plants. Makes an excellent hedge if given proper pruning in its first few years. I recommend planting at 1 foot spacing and keeping about 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide. Is an emerging invasive in the Northeast, but I'm not entirely sure how it's spreading, as the species is dioecious and only female clones exist in the United States outside of a few botanical gardens. May occasionally self-pollinate? Cute but inconspicuous flower clusters emerge in late Spring. Another interesting fact about this plant is that it has been grown in parts of Japan for centuries as an edible hedge plant. The young leaves in Spring are stripped and boiled, and have a nice flavor. Who knew you could have your hedge and eat it too?
I have grown this shrub for over 25 years without knowing the name of it until I joined DG. It has the most beautiful aralia-like foliag...Read Moree that is leathery and a bright beautiful green.
It is wonderful; hardy, persistant, attractive, and able to handle all kinds of environments. I have it in a low spot that is water logged all year except for summer, when it is so dry, that wide cracks appear in the clay.
I also grow it in full shade surrounded by a board fence and larger Viburnums. I believe it was planted there by previous owners to keep people (children) from walking through the yard, and it's still effective for that purpose because of the spines. The flowers are very inconspicuous.
This is a very rugged shrub.
Lush green growth where natualized but can be trained and manage into a formal hedge.
I have ...Read Morepictures of each; growing wild in a thicket and clipped to a formal hedge around the rose gardens in Boston's Public Garden.
I have a total crush on this plant. Small shiny green leaves emerge early in Spring and last surprisingly long into Winter. Many archin...Read More
I have grown this shrub for over 25 years without knowing the name of it until I joined DG. It has the most beautiful aralia-like foliag...Read More
This is a very rugged shrub.
Lush green growth where natualized but can be trained and manage into a formal hedge.
I have ...Read More