Japanese angelica-tree, Japanese aralia
Aralia elata

Family: Araliaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 6-12 m tall. It spreads 9 m wide. The stems are spiny and with few branches. It can produce suckers. It loses its leaves during the year. The stems have very large leaves at the top. The leaves are 1.2 m long and doubly divided. There are several pairs of branches from a prickly stalk. The are many leaflets which are curved and have teeth along the edge. They often have prickles underneath. The leaves turn red and yellow. There are about 80 leaflets. The flowers are tiny and cream in frothy clusters. These form at the tip of the shoot. The fruit are plum like and 6 mm across. The have 5 ribs and are black. They occur in large clusters.

There are about 40-55 Aralia species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In China it grows from sea level to 2,700 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Canada, China, Japan (country/location of origin), Korea, North America, Russia, Siberia, USA

How it is used for food

The young tender shoots and sprouts are partly boiled and eaten like asparagus. They are also used in soups or stir-fried.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is a cultivated food crop.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. They can also be grown from root suckers. It can be grown using root cuttings. It is more difficult to grow from cuttings of branches.

Its other names

Local names

Bang a, Dureumnamu, Dureupnamu, Turup, Turupnamu

Synonyms

Aralia chinensis var. glabrescens C. K. Schneid.; Aralia chinensis var. mandshurica (Rupr. & Maxim.) Rehder; Aralia elata f. aureovariegata (Rehder) Nakai; Aralia elata f. variegata (Rehder) Nakai; Aralia mandshurica Rupr. & Maxim.; Dimorphanthus elatus Miq.;