Plant Database

Other Names:  syn. Fagara piperita, Japanese Prickly Ash

Description:

An ornamental shrub or small tree that makes a great garden accent or screen; beautiful pinnate green glossy foliage is dense and fern-looking; nice yellow fall color; can be easily shaped with pruning

Ornamental Features

Japanese Pepper Tree has attractive green deciduous foliage which emerges gold in spring on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. The crinkled pointy compound leaves are highly ornamental and turn yellow in fall. It features subtle corymbs of chartreuse flowers in early summer.

Landscape Attributes

Japanese Pepper Tree is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Japanese Pepper Tree is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Japanese Pepper Tree will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.