Chapters

Growing Alangium platanifolium

Alangium platanifolium - Care Guide

Growing Alangium platanifolium

This is a curious and fairly rare deciduous shrub which grows to around 6ft and is therefore suitable for growing in a border. It has rounded, maple-like leaves which can be up to 8in across and have three to seven lobes.

In summer it produces clusters of fragrant tubular white flowers which are about 1.5in wide. When we first saw this supposedly rather dull plant flowering in the nursery a few years ago it was a pleasant surprise.

The plant comes from Korea and Japan and we have found that it can experience some dieback on the previous year’s new growth after a cold winter. It therefore needs to be grown in fertile well drained soil in dappled shade and surrounded by other shrubs for shelter. It can readily be grown against a wall and needs to be somewhere close to a path where you can appreciate its summer flowers and attractive leaf shape.