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Key characteristics

Family: Araliaceae
Height: 6 to 10 feet
Width: 4 to 6 feet
Flower color: Small, creamy white flowers in rounded clusters
Foliage color: Large, deeply lobed, glossy green leaves variegated with creamy white and pale yellow patterns
Bloom time: Fall
Light: Partial shade to full shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; occasional pruning to maintain shape
Growing zone: USDA Zones 7 to 10
Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and other pollinators; berries attract birds

Shrubs

Fatsia japonica 'Murakumo Nishiki'

Murakumo Nishiki Japanese Aralia

Fatsia japonica 'Murakumo Nishiki' is a unique cultivar featuring broad, glossy, lobed leaves with eye-catching cream and green variegation. This evergreen shrub brings year-round interest to gardens with its bold foliage that provides a tropical look. The variegation pattern adds a dynamic and artistic element to its appearance, making it an excellent choice for shaded or partially shaded areas.

In late autumn to early winter, 'Murakumo Nishiki' produces clusters of small, creamy-white flowers in spherical umbels, followed by dark berries.

Light

Partial shade to full shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Fall

Find this plant

Works well in

Shade Gardens
Woodland Gardens
Under Trees
Specimen Plants

Companion plants

Aucuba · Hellebore · Brunnera · Japanese maple · Lungwort · Autumn fern

Design tip

Cream and pale-yellow markings break across the oversized leaves in irregular patterns, giving ‘Murakumo Nishiki’ a hand-painted quality. Position it where the foliage can catch filtered light, which emphasizes the variegation and turns the shrub into a luminous focal point in darker areas of the garden.