Enter 'Sun King' to the Shade Garden Stage

Woodland areas and shade gardens seem to exude a peacefulness, bathed in tones of blue-green and misty gray-green. It is sometimes easy to overlook the fact that these shady areas do have some bright pops of color. Shade-loving Hostas may be streaked in white or lemon-lime tones. Mosses and Ferns might start off chartreuse before they mature into deeper greens. And perennials such as Coral Bells can insert into the calming blue-green of the shade some golden, ruby, or even deepest wine tones. But when I take a stroll in these dimly lit areas, my eyes tend to capture the peaceful blue-greens... a stage that is set in such a way that it builds a mood.

The woodland garden and shade garden are not without sunlight. The sun peeks in with golden intensity at certain times of day. Plants that went unnoticed become illuminated by glints of light. This does them good, and it certainly makes them beautiful. But for the most part, calming shades—typical foliage colors of green, greenish-blue, silver-gray—exist in the presence of strong gray-brown tree trunks and gray rocks, all under mood lighting. Bright, jewel-toned, colorful—these are not words to describe the majority of plants in these shady areas.

But then there is Aralia cordata, or Japanese Spikenard. Chances are, this is a plant you’ve never heard of, and perhaps never encountered on a peaceful stroll in the shade. 

Aralia cordata has great foliage interest, with compound leaves that are quite textural. The ‘Sun King’ cultivar is warm and golden. Think of the glowing sun at Golden Hour and how it turns the look of a light green plant into a bit of sunshine itself. This will set you in mind of the way this plant looks, and you will know that it is a pleasure to see in some of the shady areas where most plants look quite different from this. Its mounding form is pleasing to the eye, indicating that this is some sort of a specimen plant, put here especially to delight those who come across it. 

Aralia cordata grows round and full quite quickly. An herbaceous perennial, the foliage and stems stay looking good for quite some time, taking protection from the tree canopies it might find above it in the woodland garden. These canopies keep Japanese Spikenard free from snow and harsh weather for a bit longer than would be the case for exposed plants. Then, when the cold truly sets in and snow covers the ground, Aralia cordata will die back, leaves dropping to the ground. It will then return to show quick and full spring and summer growth.

Aralia cordata seems to avoid problems. It is infrequently bothered by pests, and it is typically free from disease. When a cooling breeze passes through the woodland garden, this plant’s foliage moves readily, gracefully.

‘Sun King’ maintains its golden color with the benefit of slight glimmers of sunlight to punctuate its days in the shade. If ‘Sun King’ is planted in a spot that gets almost no sun at all, it will turn greener and less well-associated with its name. Still, the green is an attractive shade. And in June and July, Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ offers white flowers, later forming dark berries that are inedible to gardeners but loved by feathered friends who dip into the shade garden for a respite from the sun.

If you have a nice woodland area and have already added Brunnera, Hostas, Ferns, and more, you might feel as though you have exhausted your options for good plants to accompany the landscape you have already enhanced. Enter ‘Sun King’. Add it as a single focal plant, or add a triad. (Our eyes tend to see threes and other odd numbers as natural garden plant placements, as if seeds have simply blown in on the wind. I tend to favor these placements over singular focal points.) If you opt for a grouping of three, try to space your plants just right so that the individual rounded form of each Aralia cordata plant remains visible and doesn’t morph into a massive mound.

Enjoy the mood lighting in the shade garden. Soak in the peaceful vibes when taking in the greens and blue-grays of so many of the plants that grow there, softened even more by the lower light conditions. But consider adding ‘Sun King’ as a counterpoint to these shades.