Description
Stems which eventually reach 30cm-80cm tall, emerge in spring from short thick rhizomes and soon expand into very decorative leaves which resemble those of the houseplant Schefflera.
Held above these superb, divided leaves are stalks of tiny white flowers, which when pollinated develop into fruit heads, which later ripen from green to red and finally black. Both red and black fruits are present at the same time, and these are reliably produced as the plant is polygamodioecious! (which means it makes normal hermaphrodite flowers with both male and female parts, but it also makes additional separately male and female flowers to ensure seed is set, if it is not cross-pollinated).
Light to medium shade (anything heavier and it may not flower), in an acid or neutral soil, in fact even a slightly limey soil seems acceptable. Damp soils are good but not very wet soils . Allow a minimum of a year to re-establish before expecting too much but it eventually makes a very decorative centrepiece which then prefers not to be disturbed, long-lived but a bit tetchy about transplanting.
Also called Japanese Ginseng or Large Leaf Ginseng this rare woodland is a relative of the more well known species Panax ginseng.
