This shrub is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: moist, but well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: slow to average
• Flowering period: May to June
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  An excellent foliage shrub for shade gardens, shrub borders or screening, with small greenish-white flowers appearing in globe-like umbels in spring, remeniscent of ivy flowerheads. Flowers on female plants (species is dioecious) may give way to small black berries, but most plants sold in cultivation are females so fruit is rarely seen. ‘Aureovariegatus' features striking variegated foliage in which the five-fingered palmate leaves are bright green edged with white. With small, sharp thorns, it also makes a good defensive hedge, and is tolerant of drier conditions (once established), urban environments, and poorer soils.
  
  
• Garden care: Prune in late winter or early spring if necessary. Remove diseased, damaged, congested or crossing shoots. Stems that are growing in unwanted directions can also be pruned out. Promptly remove root suckers to maintain appearance unless naturalising.