Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Aralia cachemirica
Kashmir Aralia
- Family
- Araliaceae
- Height
- 6 to 10 feet
- Width
- 6 to 8 feet
- Flower color
- Creamy white
- Foliage color
- Green with a bronzy tint when young
- Bloom time
- Late summer to early fall
- Light
- Partial shade to full shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; minimal pruning required
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- Bees and butterflies
About this plant
Aralia cachemirica produces large, airy panicles of tiny creamy white flowers in midsummer, attracting bees and other pollinators before giving way to clusters of glossy purple-black berries in late summer. Enormous, deeply divided leaves emerge bright green and mature into bold, lush foliage that creates a dramatic tropical effect throughout the growing season. Thick, upright stems support the broad compound leaves, while the architectural form adds texture and a strong vertical presence to shaded garden spaces.
Native to the Himalayan regions of Kashmir, northern India, and Nepal, this species is admired for its impressive foliage and woodland character. It is well suited to woodland gardens, shaded borders, specimen plantings, and naturalistic landscapes, where its bold leaves, ornamental berries, and stately habit provide long-lasting seasonal interest.
Works well in
Shade Gardens · Woodland Gardens · Specimen Plants · Pollinator Gardens
Companion plants
Skimmia · Japanese forest grass · Epimedium · Pieris · Trillium · Foamflower
Design tip
Plant this bold beauty where its dramatic foliage can brighten a shady corner or become the centerpiece of a woodland bed. Surround it with smaller shade-loving plants to create layers of texture and a garden that feels lush, inviting, and naturally balanced.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
