Aralia cordata 'Sun King'

RHS Plant Profile

Japanese spikenard 'Sun King'

Herbaceous Perennial

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A clump-forming herbaceous perennial reaching up to 1.2m tall. Its large, compound leaves emerge golden-yellow in spring and maintain their gold colour when exposed to sun for a few hours each day. Tiny white flowers are borne on spikes up to 60cm tall in late summer, forming inedible purple berries in the autumn

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 1-1.5 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H7

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Araliaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Aralia can be deciduous trees, shrubs or perennials, with large, simple or pinnately compound leaves and tiny greenish-white flowers in large terminal clusters, followed by small black fruits
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Ideally plant in full sun or partial shade to maintain the golden-yellow colour of the leaves. If grown in shady conditions, foliage will turn lime-green

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus in gardens where it is present but insufficient data to determine degree of susceptibility