Description
Eleutherococcus – Acanthopanax –
There area bout 30 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, sometimes climbers, in this genus. They occur in scrub and woodland in Eastern, Southern, and Southeastern Asia. They have alternate, 3-7 palmate leaves, carried on prickly or bristly stems, and bear terminal, simple or compound umbels of small, 5 petalled, greenish white or purplish flowers from spring to late summer. Flowers are followed by ivy like, spherical to ellipsoid, black or purple black fruits. E. species are grown for their foliage and autumn fruits. They provide a bold accent when grown as specimens and make striking addition to a shrub border.
Grow in well drained, humus enriched soil, ideally in full sun.
E. sieboldianus – Acanthopanax sieboldianus – Five-leaf Aralia – This spiny, sometimes scandent shrub from Eastern China grows 8-10′ feet tall and wide. From arching branches it carries 5 to 7 palmate, bright green leaves, with ovate or obovate, toothed leaflets, to 3 ½” long. In late spring and early summer it bears solitary umbels of star shaped, greenish white flowers, followed by spherical black fruit, to 1/3″ across.
Zones 4-8
