Common Name:

General Information

Eleutherococcus divaricatus is a spiny, deciduous shrub of thin, open habit; it can grow up to 3.5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Japan, Korea

Habitat

A rather rare plant, growing in the mountains all over Japan[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eleutherococcus divaricatus is a moderately cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant. Plants are hardy to at least -10 to -15°c if they are sheltered from cold winds[].
Species in this genus are usually easy to grow and tolerant of a wide range of soils and conditions. They generally grow best in a well-drained, open loamy soil, succeeding in full sun to moderate shade[]. They tolerate poor soils and atmospheric pollution[].
The plant is early to lose its leaves in autumn[].
A spineless form, Eleutherococcus divaricatus inermis (Nakai) H. Ohashi, has been reported[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[, ]. They are parboiled, then dried and used as a winter vegetable[].
The leaves are used as a condiment[].
The dried leaves are a tea substitute[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame[]. It can be slow to germinate. Stored seed requires 6 months warm followed by 3 months cold stratification[] and can be very slow to germinate[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[, ].
Cuttings of ripe wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 30cm long in a cold frame[].
Root cuttings in late winter[].
Division of suckers in the dormant season[].