''Aralia elata'', the Japanese angelica tree, Chinese angelica-tree, or Korean angelica-tree, is a

woody plant A woody plant is a plant that produces wood as its structural tissue and thus has a hard stem. In cold climates, woody plants further survive winter or dry season above ground, as opposite to herbaceous plants that die back to the ground until sp ...

belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Araliaceae. It is known as ''tara-no-ki'' (; ) in Japanese, and ''dureup-namu'' () in Korean.

Description

It is an upright

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

small

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

or shrub growing up to in height, native to eastern Russia, China, Korea, and Japan. The bark is rough and gray with prickles. The leaves are alternate, large, 60–120 cm long, and double

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are produced in large

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

s in late summer, each flower small and white. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a small black drupe. ''Aralia elata'' is closely related to the American species ''

Aralia spinosa ''Aralia spinosa'', commonly known as devil's walking stick, is a woody species of plant in the genus ''Aralia'', family Araliaceae, native to eastern North America. The various names refer to the viciously sharp, spiny stems, petioles, and even ...

'', with which it is easily confused.

Cultivation

''Aralia elata'' is cultivated, often in a variegated form, for its exotic appearance. It prefers deep loamy soils in partial shade, but will grow in poorer soils and in full sun. The

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s 'Variegata' and 'Aureovariegata' have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

's Award of Garden Merit.

Gastronomy

Japan

In Japan, the

shoot In botany, a plant shoot consists of any plant stem together with its appendages, leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop. In the sp ...

s are called ''tara-no-me'' and are eaten in the spring. They are picked from the end of the branches and are fried in a

tempura is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ...

batter.

Korea

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

, the young shoot is called ''dureup'' (), and the plant is called ''dureupnamu'' (, "''dureup'' tree"). Young shoots are harvested during a month, from early April to early May, when they are soft and fragrant. In Korean cuisine, the shoots are commonly eaten blanched as ''

namul Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...

'', pickled as '' jangajji'', pan-fried as '' jeon'', or deep-fried as '' bugak''. File:Dureup-sukhoe.jpg, ''Dureup-

sukhoe ( ko, 숙회) is a variety of ''hoe (food), hoe'' dishes consisting of blanching (cooking), blanched vegetables, seafoods, or offals. ''Sukhoe'' is usually dipped in ''chojang'', the mixture made of gochujang and vinegar. History A number of ' ...

'' (blanched angelica-tree shoot) File:Korean cuisine-Dureup bugak and Chal jeonbyeong.jpg, ''Dureup- bugak'' (angelica-tree shoot fritter) and ''

chal Chal, or shubat ( kk, шұбат, ), is a Turkic (especially Turkmen, Uzbek and Kazakh) beverage of fermented camel milk, sparkling white with a sour flavor, popular in Central Asia — particularly in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. ...

- jeonbyeong'' (glutinous rice pancake) File:Dureup-gaji-jeon.jpg, ''Dureup- gaji- jeon'' (pan-fried angelica-tree shoot and eggplant) File:Dureup-jeon 2.jpg, ''Dureup- jeon'' (pan-fried angelica-tree shoot) File:Sungeo-dureup-doenjang-mayo-muchim.jpg, '' Sungeo-dureup-

doenjang ''Doenjang'' * (; "thick sauce") or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine. It is also a byproduct of soup soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a relish. History The earliest soybean fer ...

mayo Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...

muchim Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...

'' (mullet and angelica-tree shoot salad with soybean paste and mayonnaise dressing)

Invasive species

The tree was introduced into the United States in 1830. Birds like to eat the fruits, and are spreading its seeds, allowing the tree to expand its range as an invasive species in the Northeastern United States.U.S. Dept. of Agriculture: Map of distribution in U.S. and Canada
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References

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elata Elata is a Greek village on the island of Chios. The village is situated on hilly terrain and has a population of several hundred. Elata Elata became a village hundreds of years ago when seven tribes came together to protect themselves from Tur ...

Trees of Asia Edible plants Leaf vegetables *Aralia cordata Korean vegetables