Eleutherococcus setchuenensis - Sichuan eleutherococcus

Eleutherococcus setchuenensis, the Sichuan Eleutherococcus, is an ornamental bush which is still rare in gardens. It is interesting for its palmate leaf and its nectar-rich umbels, which give way to large clusters of black berries. It is happy in partial shade, in large woodland beds and informal hedges. It is very hardy, so it can be acclimatised in many regions.

This species belongs to the Araliaceae family, like ivies, Aralia and other Fatsia. It was long placed in the genus Acanthopanax, so it can be found under the synonyms Acanthopanax setchuenensis and Eleutherococcus leucorrhizus var. setchuenensis. Native to west-central China (notably Sichuan, but also other provinces of central China), it grows naturally on forest edges and in mountain thickets, under a temperate climate.

A deciduous bush, rather upright then becoming rounded, its growth is medium-fast. The stems are smooth, bearing few or no prickles depending on the specimen. At maturity, the plant reaches 2 to 3 m in height with a spread of 1.50 to 2.50 m. It can reach 1.80 m to 2.20 m in height at 10 years old, depending on soil and climate. The deciduous leaves are palmatisect: the leaves are compound of 3, sometimes 4 to 5 leaflets, oblong to ovate, finely toothed, smooth, dark green above, paler beneath; each leaflet measures 5 to 14 cm long by 2.5 to 5 cm wide. Flowering takes place in July (between late June and August, depending on the region). The small whitish to yellowish, nectar-rich flowers, grouped in spherical umbels, are borne at the tips of branches. The fruits that follow are globular drupes,  bluish black when ripe, gathered in tight clusters, decorative in late summer and autumn. The root system is woody and spreading; the plant may produce a few suckers at the base over time, without becoming invasive. This species is hardy down to -20 °C in well-drained soil and sheltered from wind.

Eleutherococcus setchuenensis can be used in an informal hedge or as a background in a partially shaded bed, in a humus-bearing soil that remains moist in summer. It is perfect on the edge of woodland. You can associate it with Fatsia japonica ‘Spider’s Web’ for its architectural leafage, Hydrangea serrata ‘Bluebird’ for light flowers, Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ and Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’. It suits a garden with a naturalistic or even exotic feel, and of course, in the garden of a collector of rare species.

The genus name Eleutherococcus comes from the Greek "eleutheros" (free) and "kokkos" (berry), in reference to the non-fused berries; the epithet setchuenensis refers to the Chinese province of Sichuan where the plant was collected. The type species was introduced into cultivation in the early 20th century by E. H. Wilson, following collections by A. Henry in China.