Kalopanax septemlobus Maximowiczii

The Kalopanax pictus Maximowiczii is a slow-growing small tree with an upright habit and few branches. Its overall appearance evokes certain tropical plants, making it famous for contemporary and exotic gardens in cooler regions. Its large, deeply lobed palmate leaves serve as a backdrop for the exuberant late summer flowering: large umbels of small white-green flowers form at the branches' ends, further enhancing this tree's tropical aspect. Much hardier than its appearance suggests, it prefers neutral to acidic soils that are sufficiently moist.

The Kalopanax belongs to the family Araliaceae, which includes many genera with decorative leaves. The "Panax" is particularly distinguished by its leaf blades: compound in the Acanthopanax sieboldii, palmate and imposing in the Oplopanax horridus, the record is held by the Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Rex' with leaves as large as umbrellas! As for Panax, it is a well-known perennial under its common name of ginseng. We could also mention Oreopanax, which resembles the famous Shefflera, another member of the Araliaceae family, as these different plants share a family resemblance.

Introduced to Europe in the late nineteenth century, the Kalopanax pictus (synonym Kalopanax septemlobus) comes from the cool forests of Japan, eastern Russia, China, and Korea, which explains its good hardiness. This tree reaches a height of about 6 m (20ft) with a spread of 4 m (13ft). It bears large palmate leaves approximately 30 cm (12in) in diameter, resembling those of Fatsia, a well-known plant from the same family. In the variety 'Maximowiczii', the leaves are more deeply lobed than in the species, enhancing their ornamental interest. Their beautiful dark green colour, slightly glossy, highlights the abundant late summer flowering. This appears in large umbels, approximately the same size as the leaves, or even more significant (50 cm (20in)), composed of small white-green flowers that are very melliferous. These are followed by small fruits measuring 4-5 mm (1in) in diameter and dark colour. In autumn, the foliage takes on a beautiful golden-yellow colour before the leaves fall, revealing thorny branches, just like the trunk. This plant is hardy down to -15°/-20 °C.

The Kalopanax pictus Maximowiczii is ideal for creating an exotic garden and can be paired with other tropical-looking plants, especially those with giant leaves like the Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Rex' or the Gunnera tinctoria. Hardy palms, such as the Trachycarpus fortunei and the Sabal nain, add a final flourish to the scene.