Goutweed, Hillside celery
Aegopodium alpestre
Family: Apiaceae
What it is like
It is a perennial plant about 45 cm high. It has creeping rhizomes or underground stems. These are thickened at the nodes. Roots and erect stems emerge from these. The stems are hollow. The leaves are 5-10 cm long on leaf stalks 30 cm long. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The flowers are white.
There are 5 Aegopodium species.
Where it is found
It is a cold temperate plant. It occurs naturally in low mountain regions in Japan. In north China it grows between 900-2,200 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia
How it is used for food
The young shoots are cooked and eaten. They are cooked with flour, in soups and for pickles.
Edible parts
Leaves, stems
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed or by division of the clumps.