Growing Eleutherococcus (Five-Leaf Aralia)

Pronunciation: eh-lew-ther-oh-kok'-us

Thrives in all kinds of soil from heavy clay to poor, dry soil and tolerates wide extremes of pH. Fertilize with a light hand, if at all. Plants spread by suckers (underground stems); transplant or remove them in the spring. Prune in late winter or early spring to remove broken or dead branches. Beware of small pines along the stems.