A very tolerant and easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil that is not impoverished. Dislikes very alkaline soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in dark corners or places starved by tree roots. Shade tolerant, established plants also tolerate drought. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. They can be cut back to the ground in very severe winters but usually resprout from the base. Plants are often deciduous in cold winters, when grown in poor soils, near the coast or in an exposed position. A moderately fast-growing plant, though it is also very greedy, robbing the surrounding soil of more nutrients and moisture than most hedging plants. Some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value. This species is notably susceptible to honey fungus.

None known

The seed does not require any pre-treatment and can be sown in the spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy. Cuttings of mature wood, 20 - 30cm in a sheltered outdoor bed in November/December. High percentage.

Thickets near the sea in C. and S. Japan.