Common Name:

General Information

Elatostema umbellatum is a perennial plant with ascending to erect stems that can persist and become more or less woody; it can grow around 15 - 30cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. Growing well in the shade, it can be used as a ground cover in woodland areas.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - central and southern Japan, Korea

Habitat

Moist, shaded places in mountains[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.25 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in full and in partial shade.
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is to be produced. However, this species also forms bulbils along the stems which can be used for propagation.

Edible Uses

Young leaves - boiled as a vgetable, or coated in batter and deep fried as tempura[]. (This record is for Elatostema umbellatum var majus, which is now treated as a synonym of Elatostems involucratum Franch. & Sav.. However, there are also several plant nurseries for edible perennials that are selling a selected form of Elatostema umbellatum (Dents de Kyoto) as an edible plant[]))

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Growing well in the shade, and spreading slowly by means of the bulbils it produces, the plant can be used as a ground cover in woodland areas.

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame in the spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring should be possible.
Bulbils - these are produced along the stems and should be harvested as soon as they start to fall naturally from the stem. Best planted immediately, either in situ or in pots, though they will store for a short while.