I grew this lovely plant for 8-10 years in a former GA zone 8 garden and have one now, purchased last year, in a container at my new home. Never understood why it isn't more widely grown. No pest or diseases and will grow in total or half-shade. The thorns are small but sharp...less hurtful than Berberis or Roses. I used the foliage often in arrangements and didn't mind the thorns but wouldn't want to trespass through a whole plant.

Doesn't need rich soil and never any pests or diseases. Moderate watering with good drainage seems fine. I've read that the variegated form is slower growing but it seemed to reach 5-6 feet in about 3-4 years as well as I remember, from a mailorder "quart pot".

I really like the way the branches present the frilly bright leaves. I'd compare it to a Japanese Maple in its graceful form. As I said, I really like this shrub. You might try Google Images using its old name, Acanthopanax sieboldiana 'variegatus'for photos. I'd think it would make a perfect light screen, as even in winter it's very 'twiggy' plus it grows almost 4 feet wide (or I should say mine did..might have been result of my cutting often to fill my vases though. josh

I had this in my zone 5 garden in New York and have just ordered two more for my new place in northern VA. It's a great shrub with bright, soft foliage. I found the thorns to be considerably less noticeable than rose thorns, partly because the shrub requires absolutely no care, so you don't have to be messing with it all the time, but also because there are simply fewer of them and they aren't as mercilessly hooked. No diseases, no bugs - not even japanese beetles. I had mine on the north side of the house in somewhat amended, normally moist soil where it hit five feet in about 3 years. Totally cold hardy where winter temps can hit -12 every night for ten days in a row. I'm not sure whether the deer ever found it (they certainly found everything else), so I can't say whether it's deer resistant.

I am planning to put the new ones under a maple - Stan at Variegated Foliage in CT says this plant can thrive in dry shade so I guess I'll find out.

Really good plant, takes poor soils, dry conditions, neglect, stays variegated even in a very deep shade.
No insects or deseases to report, except the fact that it is of interest for the deers and woodchucks despite the thorns.
It's somewhat slow at the very beginning, but by year 4 you should have a decent size shrub, if you don't have to start from scratches thanks to the deers.

I've been wanting this plant for several years and this spring it's going in in dry,partial shade. I can hardly wait!

Yes, this is a tough shrub for difficult spots. Both of mine are growing in less than ideal soil in considerable shade with no problems at all. They have been in the ground about 5 or 6 years and are probably close to 5 feet tall. I'd like to move one of them in the spring. Has anyone had experience cutting them way back? I'm thinking it would make it easier to move but I've never pruned them before and don't want to ruin the natural shape.

Sue

Sue, deers 'pruned' mine 2 years ago. Not to the stabs, but from 3 feet to 1 feet definitely. I can't say that such pruning 'promoted' new and/or more vigorous growth, but nevertheless in a next two years it become a 3-footer again.
My guess, and this is a guess only, pruning to 3 feet may ruin the natural arching shape, but if you go down to 2' or so, it will recover its natural shape nicely, though it will take longer.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I bought 5 of them from Forest Farm for delivery in APril. $12 each. So not bad at all. Forest Farm has been a good source of plants in the past.

Purchased one of these from White Flower Farm about five years ago (I notice they no longer offer it); after two years of almost no growth, I called their horticulturalist.
Finally, they told me it was "a very slow starter" - it
certainly would have been helpful if some mention of that
had been made in the catalog! Then, it had to be moved,
which I'm sure slowed it down some more - but it certainly
IS tough, and the foliage is terrific in my partial-shade
siting, topping out at about 4-foot this past season. No pests, no problems, the soil is only so-so, no extra water
needed - now if it would just hurry up and turn into the
glorious 8-foot+ shrub that WFF promised. . .

Great to find this thread as I am thinking of using just this plant in a very shady location next spring. It is good to see these mostly positive reports about this shrub.

rouge 21, in response to your email, yes I've had it for about 8 years. It's very slow growing but very handsome and handles dry shade very well.

Thanks for the reply. I would like to find as big a specimen as possible due to its very slow growth.