It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant in warm temperate regions where winters do not fall below about −15 °C (5 °F).[3] F. japonica thrives in semi-shade to full-shade and is winter hardy in USDA Zones 8–10.[4] It can be grown as an indoor plant and has been shown to effectively remove gaseous formaldehyde from indoor air. [3]
This plant[5] and its cultivar F. japonica ‘Variegata'[6] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[7]
An ornamental plant, F. japonica ‘Spider’s Web’ (or ‘Spider White’) is a rare cultivar with variegated leaves. Slower growing than the original species, it reaches a lower maximum height of 2.5 m (8.2 ft) at maturity. The dark-green leaves are strongly white-flecked, particularly at the edges, though the white variegation may occasionally disperse across the whole leaf. The variegation may change with the seasons and as the plant ages. Terminal clumps of white flowers emerge in autumn, which are followed by black berries.[8]