Five-fingered Aralia Eleutherococcus sieboldianus
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Acanthopanax sieboldianus
- Phonetic Spelling
- el-ew-ther-oh-KOK-us see-bold-ee-AH-nus
- Description
-
Five-fingered aralia, although a member of the aralia family is not in the genus Aralia. is an erect, upright shrub with arching branches that flop over. Can be severely pruned; easy to transplant and adapts to poor growing conditions; tends to sucker. Tolerates shearing well. It root-suckers readily. It tolerates full sun to shade; prefers well-drained soil but tolerates clay, sand, drought, and pollution. Its thorns make it a good candidate for a screen or security planting or place it in a shrub border, foundation planting or the background of a planting bed.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Variegatus'
- 'Variegatus'
- 'Variegatus'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Variegatus'
- 'Variegatus'
- 'Variegatus'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Acanthopanax
- Species:
- sieboldianus
- Family:
- Araliaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China (Anhui)
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Drought, poor soil, urban settings, pollution.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Erect
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
- Appendage:
- Thorns
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-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Description:
- Modest production of small black fruit because plants are dioecious so need both male and female plants.
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-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Umbel
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- Small greenish-white flowers in umbel in late spring- early summer, May-June.
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-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Colorful alternate, palmately compound leaves with 5 to 7 leaflets that resemble buckeye leaves; 1 to 2.5 in. long; bright green; non-showy fall color; mostly yellow
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-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Arching branches that flop over, thorns appear at stem nodes below each leaf.
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Pollution
- Urban Conditions
- Problems:
- Spines/Thorns
