Finding the right plants to grow with your stunning Aralia Sun King can really make your shaded garden pop. Choosing the perfect Aralia Sun King companion plants is the key to creating a lush, layered look that lasts all season.
This golden beauty, with its bright chartreuse foliage, is a superstar for shady spots. But it doesn’t have to stand alone. The right plant partners will highlight its color, fill in gaps, and create a thriving ecosystem. Let’s look at how to build a beautiful garden around this special plant.
Aralia Sun King Companion Plants
When you pick companions for your Sun King, you’re thinking about more than just looks. You need plants that enjoy the same conditions: partial to full shade, moist but well-drained soil, and a bit of shelter from harsh winds. The goal is to create contrast and harmony.
Why Companion Planting Works for Sun King
Companion planting helps your garden in several ways. It can improve soil health, reduce weeds, and even help with pest control. For the Aralia Sun King, it’s mainly about visual appeal and creating a full, healthy garden bed. The right neighbors make the golden leaves shine even brighter.
They also help cover the lower legs of the Aralia, which can get a bit bare. This creates a more polished, intentional garden design. It’s all about building layers from the ground up.
Top Plant Partners for Color and Texture
Think about colors and leaf shapes that will complement the Sun King’s bold, divided leaves. You want a mix of foliage and flowers to keep interest from spring to fall.
- Heucheras (Coral Bells): With leaves in shades of purple, silver, and amber, they offer a fantastic color contrast right at the base. Varieties like ‘Palace Purple’ or ‘Silver Scrolls’ are excellent.
- Hostas: Choose blue-hostas like ‘Halcyon’ or variegated ones like ‘Patriot’ to make the gold foliage stand out. Their broad leaves provide a great textural difference.
- Ferns: The fine, feathery texture of ferns is a perfect foil. Japanese Painted Ferns add a touch of silver and burgundy, while Autumn Ferns offer coppery new growth.
- Hakonechloa (Japanese Forest Grass): The flowing, grassy form of ‘Aureola’ (gold) or ‘All Gold’ echoes the Sun King’s color in a different texture, creating ryhthm.
Great Flowering Companions
Flowers add seasonal punches of color. Since Sun King is grown for its leaves, these blooms come and go without stealing the show.
- Astilbes: Their fluffy plumes in pink, white, or red rise above in early to mid-summer and love the same moist soil.
- Brunnera: Especially ‘Jack Frost’ with its heart-shaped, silver-veined leaves and tiny blue spring flowers that look like forget-me-nots.
- Pulmonarias (Lungwort): They bloom early with pink or blue flowers and often have spotted foliage that looks great later on.
- Foxgloves (Digitalis): For a vertical accent, these biennials add height and cottage-garden charm in late spring.
Don’t Forget About Foliage Fillers
Some plants are workhorses that fill space beautifully. Lamiums (Dead Nettle) offer silver-marked leaves and a spreading habit. Sweet Woodruff makes a charming green carpet with white spring flowers. Both are tough and reliable in shade.
How to Arrange Your Companions
Planning your layout is simple if you follow a few basic steps. Think about the mature size of every plant to avoid overcrowding.
- Place Your Sun King: Start with your Aralia as the focal point. Remember it can get 3-4 feet tall and wide.
- Add Middle Layer Plants: Place medium-height plants like Heucheras, medium Hostas, or Brunnera around its base, but not touching its stems.
- Incorporate Background Elements: If your bed is against a wall or fence, use taller plants like certain ferns or even a Hydrangea behind the Sun King.
- Edge with Ground Covers: Use low spreaders like Lamium or Sweet Woodruff at the front of the border to tie everything together.
Caring for Your Planted Garden
Once planted, your community of plants will thrive with consistent care. They all share similar basic needs, which makes maintenance easier.
- Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist, especially in the first year and during dry spells. A layer of mulch helps alot.
- Mulching: Apply 2-3 inches of shredded bark or compost around plants. This conserves moisture, suppresses weeds, and enriches the soil as it breaks down.
- Feeding: In early spring, apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or a top-dressing of compost to feed all the plants at once.
- Pruning: The Sun King may have winter dieback. Cut back dead stems in early spring before new growth appears. Deadhead flowers on other plants as needed.
Plants to Avoid Nearby
Not every plant is a good neighbor. Avoid aggressive spreaders that might outcompete your Aralia for nutrients. Also, avoid sun-loving, drought-tolerant plants like Lavender or Sedum, as their needs are opposite. They will struggle in the shade and moist soil the Sun King prefers.
Design Ideas for Different Looks
You can tailor your plant choices to create specific garden styles.
For a Modern Look
Stick to a limited color palette. Pair Sun King with mostly green and white. Use large-leaved Hostas, white Astilbes, and the white-variegated grass ‘Hakonechloa ‘Albostriata’. Keep groupings bold and simple.
For a Woodland Feel
Add native plants and natural textures. Combine Sun King with ferns, wild ginger (Asarum), Solomon’s Seal, and shade-loving bulbs like Erythronium. Let plants layer and mingle more informally.
For Season-Long Color
Choose companions that peak at different times. Start with spring bulbs and Pulmonaria, move to late spring Foxgloves, then summer Astilbes and Heuchera flowers, and finish with the fall color of the Sun King itself and perhaps some toad lilies (Tricyrtis).
Solving Common Problems
Even the best plans can hit a snag. Here’s how to fix common issues.
If the area is too dry: Sun King leaves can scorch. Increase mulch and water more frequently. Add more moisture-loving plants like Astilbe as a living indicator.
If the garden looks flat: You likely need more height. Add taller elements like shade-tolerant shrubs (Oakleaf Hydrangea) or a decorative obelisk with a climbing vine like a small Clematis.
If colors clash: If a companion plant’s flower color fights with the gold foliage, like a hot orange daylily, it’s okay to move it. The gold foliage pairs best with cool colors (blues, purples, silvers) and whites.
FAQ About Growing Aralia Sun King With Other Plants
Q: Can Aralia Sun King take full sun?
A: It prefers partial to full shade. In too much sun, especially hot afternoon sun, its leaves can bleach or scorch. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal.
Q: How fast does Sun King Aralia grow?
A: It has a moderate growth rate, typically reaching its full size in 3-5 years. It’s not an aggressive spreader, which makes it a good garden citizen.
Q: What are good companion plants for Aralia in deep shade?
A: For very deep shade, focus on foliage. Great choices include Hostas, many Ferns, European Ginger (Asarum), and Lamium. They will thrive with minimal direct light.
Q: Is the Aralia cordata Sun King deer resistant?
A: Yes, it is generally considered deer resistant. Deer tend to avoid its textured foliage. Many of its recommended companions, like ferns and Heuchera, are also less palatable to deer.
Q: When should I plant companions around my established Sun King?
A: Early fall or spring are the best times. The soil is warm and moisture is usually more reliable, giving new plants a chance to establish their roots without summer heat stress.
Building a garden around your Aralia Sun King is a rewarding project. By choosing plants that share its love for shady, moist conditions, you’ll create a low-maintenance and beautiful display. The contrast in leaf shapes, colors, and heights will bring out the best in every plant, ensuring your shaded garden is a vibrant and welcoming space throughout the year. Start with one or two companions and see how the combinations work, you can always add more plants next season as your vision comes together.