Bai Zhi
Angelica dahurica

Family: Apiaceae

What it is like

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It can grow 1-2.5 m tall. The root is cylinder shaped, brown, 3-5 cm thick and has a strong smell. The stem is purplish-green. It is 2-5 cm thick and has ribs. The lower leaves have long leafstalks. The leaves are oval or triangle shaped and 30-50 cm long by 25-40 cm wide. They are divided into leaflets that are 4-10 cm long by 1-4 cm wide.

There are 50 Angelica species. They are temperate plants.

Where it is found

A cool temperate plant. In north China it grows in grasslands, along streams and near the edges of forests between 500-1,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Siberia, Taiwan

How it is used for food

The young leaves are boiled or stir-fried.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ben de wang

Synonyms

Angelica macrocarpa H. Wolff; Angelica porphyrocaulis Nakai & Kitag. Angelica pubescens var. glabra Y. Yabe; Angelica tschiliensis H. Wolff.; Callisace dahurica Hoffm.; Thysselinum davuricum Spreng.;