Fatsia japonica.

if you take salty's suggestion to google.. you will find that it is actually a tree ...

if its improperly planted.. in too confined a space.. i would suggest removal ... rather than trying to prune it into a mini ... as you are finding.. it just isnt going to work ....

this is why.. it is coming back bigger.. every time you cut it.. as there was no insult to a tree sized root mass ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: hit the tree link at top left ...

Ken, have you ever grown this plant? It is not a tree but a large shrub......grown as a houseplant in areas where it is not winter hardy. And it can be grown in a very confined space as it takes to hard pruning very well. Many folks cut it back annually. It is an ideal candidate for areas of dry shade in zone 8 and above.

Ack! Do you think it is a keeper?

Thank you!

Yes it's a keeper, but if you need to prune yearly it is in the wrong location. Ignore Ken, he likes to hear himself pontificate on subjects he doesn't understand.

This post was edited by saltcedar on Wed, Apr 9, 14 at 16:02

If it is coming up on its own, from seed on your site that might indicate some existing or future weed potential. Otherwise it is a plant people plant intentionally, for garden ornament.

You will probably not see the flowers and fruits if you keep cutting it back, and it does want to grow large (well above 5 ft., which is not big for a shrub, as far as it goes). So you might not want it in that spot, regardless of how nice it might be thought to be otherwise.

Fatsia is a great shrub for a lush, tropical look. They are hardy in the MidAtlantic up to zone 7B and can get damaged in zone 7A. They should be reliably evergreen in zone 8. And should be regarded as of some value, I would think. Who doesn't like green in the winter?

You don't say how much space this needs to fit into, but if a 5 x 5 shrub doesn't work where you have it, you can easily move it where it can show off its stuff. They like mostly shade.