Common Name: Japanese Angelica Tree

General Information

Aralia elata is a deciduous shrub or a small tree usually growing 2 - 5 metres tall, exceptionally to 8 metres. The branches are armed with sparse prickles. The plant often produces suckers at the base and can form thickets of growth[, ]. The plant is noted in cultivation for producing spiny, pithy, usually unbranched stems which are crowned at the top with a spreading umbrella-like canopy of huge, showy, bi-pinnate leaves[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a food - the young shoots are a traditional food, often sold in markets in Japan. It is sometimes cultivated as a food and medicinal plant in Korea[]. Very ornamental, it is often grown in gardens[, ].
Plants can spread somewhat rapidly by self-seeding and suckering to form thickets. Promptly remove root suckers to prevent unwanted naturalization[].

Known Hazards

Handling the bark and roots can cause allergic skin reactions in some people[].

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East, China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Thin woodland and thickets on rich well moistened slopes[, ], 900 - 2000 metres in N. Hupeh[]. Forests, forest margins, scrub fields, roadsides; at elevations from near sea level to 2,700 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

When dormant, Aralia elata is cold hardy to at least -15°c[, ] - the young growth in spring however, even on mature plants, is frost-tender. Growing the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning spring sunshine will help protect young leaves from damage[].
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade[]. Prefers a good, deep, humus-rich loam and a position in semi-shade but it also succeeds in a sunny position[, ]. Requires a sheltered position. Plants are hardier when grown on poorer soils[, ]. Prefers an acid soil[].
The plant generally tolerates many urban pollutants[].
There are a number of named varieties selected for their ornamental value[].
The plant usually grows as a single stemmed shrub, spreading by means of suckers[].
This species is closely allied to Aralia chinensis.

Edible Uses

Young shoots - cooked[, ]. A traditional food in Japan[]. Used as 'namul' in Korea - this is a cooked side dish prepared by steaming or blanching the vegetables, placing them in small serving bowls with sesame oil seasoning and serving them at room temperature[]. They can also be blanched and used in salads.

Medicinal

The roots and stems are anodyne and carminative[]. All parts of the plant are used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthralgia, coughs, diabetes, jaundice, stomach ulcers and stomach cancers[, ].

The root, and especially the bark, stimulates the central nervous system[].

The plant is said to restore the appetite, memory, vigour etc[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The large clusters of flowers are quite showy and very attractive to bees. These flowers are followed by clusters of fleshy, spherical, black drupes that ripen from late summer into the autumn and are quite attractive to birds[]..

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 - 5 months of cold stratification. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 4 months at 20°c[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Once the plants are 25cm or more tall, they can be planted out into their permanent positions, late spring or early summer being the best time to do this.
Root cuttings 8cm long, early winter in a cold frame[, ]. Store the roots upside down in sand and pot up in early to mid spring. High percentage[].
Division of suckers in late winter[]. Very easy, the suckers can be planted out direct into their permanent positions if required.