In Poland, it is worth planting Aralia elata in gardens, which can be grown all over the country. It is a shrub that grows up to 5-7 m, often tree-shaped or bushy. It produces thick, club-shaped, slightly branched shoots covered with short, strong spines that may appear on the trunks of woody forms. Leaves are complex, large, double or triple pinnate. There are 3 to 13 leaflets on a single branch. They are ovoid or elliptical in shape, dark green on top and bluish underneath. Long, downward-pointing spikes grow at the point where the leaves are embedded. The leaves are arranged horizontally over several floors, resembling umbrellas, especially attractive and exotic in woody forms.In autumn the leaves turn orange and yellow.
In the second half of summer, small white flowers appear, gathered in wide corymbos, up to 50 cm long, which grow on the tips of the shoots. After flowering, the plants develop tiny black shiny stone fruits that ripen in early October. The cultivation includes horticultural varieties: 'Aureovariegata', whose leaves turn golden in spring and then turn silvery-white, and the popular variety 'Variegata' with variegated, white-edged leaves. Both varieties should be planted in sunny places, sheltered from frosty winter winds. They grow more slowly than the typical form and are not as expansive. Aralia grows well in full sun or shade. It should be displayed in representative places, especially on lawns and over water reservoirs.
Aralia needs a lot of space due to the wide shape of the crownand its growth thanks to the root suckers that form in fertile sites.In the first years, the shoots grow quickly, later their growth slows down. Aralia prefers fertile, fresh and acidic soil. However, many gardeners believe that on poorer soils it is more resistant and lives longer. Spring frosts often damage young delicate shoots. In the first 2-3 years of cultivation, it is worth covering the plants for the winter.
Aralia is propagated vegetatively from root cuttings prepared in autumn or winter. The roots are cut into 10-15 cm pieces, which are placed in boxes horizontally, covered with earth. The boxes are placed in a warm, bright room, where buds and roots are formed on the seedlings. Shoots shoot out in the spring. In early spring, young root suckers can be removed. Part of the shoots on the plant are cut, which will stimulate it to create root suckers.
