''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 Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
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, aft ...
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
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
growing up to in height,
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
to eastern Russia, China, Korea, and Japan.
The
bark is rough and gray with prickles. The
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
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
In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...
.
''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 (Nort ...
's
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The 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 spri ...
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 ''tem ...
batter.
Korea
In
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
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
, 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
''Jangajji'' () or pickled vegetables is a type of ''banchan'' (side dish) made by pickling vegetables.
* Unlike kimchi, ''jangajji'' is non-fermented vegetables, usually pickled in soy sauce, soybean paste, or chili paste. ''Jangajji'' dishe ...
'', pan-fried as ''
jeon'', or deep-fried as ''
bugak
''Bugak'' () is a variety of vegetarian ''twigim'' (deep-fried dish) in Korean cuisine. It is made by deep frying dried vegetables or seaweed coated with ''chapssal-pul'' (; glutinous rice paste) and then drying them again. It is eaten as '' ...
''.
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
''Bugak'' () is a variety of vegetarian ''twigim'' (deep-fried dish) in Korean cuisine. It is made by deep frying dried vegetables or seaweed coated with ''chapssal-pul'' (; glutinous rice paste) and then drying them again. It is eaten as '' ...
'' (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 fe ...
-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
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
in the
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...
.
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture: Map of distribution in U.S. and Canada
/ref>
References
{{Authority control
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