Ruscus aculeatus is one of the most useful shrubs available to gardeners working with dense shade. What appears to be a set of glossy, dark green, spine-tipped leaves are in fact flattened stems called cladodes, which function as photosynthetic surfaces in place of true leaves. The actual leaves are tiny scales. Flowers emerge directly from these cladode surfaces in spring, small and easily missed, but followed by vivid, waxy red berries that develop in late summer and persist well into winter, providing a rare note of color in the shadiest corners of the garden.

Plants slowly form spreading clumps 18 inches to 3 feet tall through a creeping rootstock, tolerating drought, heat, and salt with equal equanimity. Most Ruscus species require separate male and female plants for fruiting, but R. aculeatus is sometimes self-fertile; for reliable berry production, plant one male to every six females. Remove dead stems at the base each spring to keep the colony tidy.