Such a nice low-care plant. Evergreen in most winters here (all winters if grown near a house wall). Tolerates moderate drought, clay soil, poorly-drained soil, and even a few days of flooding. Shiny green foliage. Part or full shade, moist or dry. Does tend to struggle the first year it's planted, but then it bucks up. Makes baby plants at a moderate pace, which is nice for filling in, but you'll eventually have to thin. A relative grows this as a low-care hedge in front of low windows, and it works very nicely for that purpose. She has to dig up and pass along several baby plants every year, but she has a nice thick evergreen hedge with no trimming, so I think it's a good trade-off.

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I first saw some of this species planted occasionally in the area of Wilmington, North Carolina and I saw some in southern Florida. It is pretty, but I did not touch it, assuming it is prickly. It is a slow growing plant. It has been listed as being an invasive Asian plant species in North Carolina. Reistant to heavy shade, deer, and rabbits. Native to East Asia down to Vietnam.

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