Japanese Angelica Tree

aralia elata

The Japanese Angelica Tree (Aralia elata) is a striking, fast-growing deciduous small tree native to East Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, and eastern Siberia. Known for its sparse branching habit and highly dramatic, umbrella-like silhouette, it commands immediate attention in its native forests. Its stems and branches are aggressively armored with sharp, stout prickles that serve as a strong defense against herbivores, earning it a reputation as a formidable barrier plant in natural ecosystems. In spring, the tree produces highly prized, edible young shoots known as 'tara-no-me' in Japan, which are traditionally harvested and deep-fried as tempura. As summer transitions to autumn, the tree is transformed by massive, cloud-like clusters of tiny white flowers that attract a wealth of pollinators, followed by clusters of small, dark-purple to black berries that feed migrating songbirds.

Lebensraum: Found in open woodlands, forest edges, clearing margins, and disturbed areas where plenty of sunlight is available.

Aussehen

The Japanese Angelica Tree typically grows 3 to 10 meters tall with a sparse, upright form and very few side branches. It features massive, doubly or triply compound pinnate leaves that can reach over a meter in length, giving the crown a lush, exotic appearance. The bark is light grey and heavily armed with sharp, stout prickles. In late summer, large terminal panicles of creamy-white flowers bloom, which later give way to small, glossy black spherical drupes arranged in dense, flat-topped clusters on purplish stems.

ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungApialesFamilieAraliaceaeGattungAralia

Japanese Angelica Tree

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Due to its fierce defense of sharp prickles covering the stems, it is colloquially referred to as 'Devil's Walking Stick' in the United States, a name shared with its native North American relative.

In Japan, the young, tender spring shoots are known as 'tara-no-me' and are considered a supreme wild vegetable ('sansai'), typically fried as tempura.

In traditional East Asian medicine, various parts of the tree, especially the bark and roots, are used to treat joint pain, diabetes, and digestive issues.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

The trunk, branches, and even the leaf stems are covered in sharp, stout prickles that deter large herbivores from feeding on its foliage.

The plant can easily sprout from root suckers, allowing it to rapidly colonize disturbed areas and recover quickly from physical damage.

Its late-season blooming period produces massive, nectar-rich flower panicles that provide a critical food source for bees and flies when other flowers are scarce.

Maße und Details

Länge: 300-1000 cm
Lebenserwartung: 20-40 Jahre

Ernährung und Fütterung

As a photoautotrophic plant, it manufactures its own food using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water through photosynthesis, supplemented by minerals absorbed through its root system.

Hauptnahrung

Sunlight
Carbon dioxide
Water
Soil nutrients

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

Birds consume the small, dark purple berries in autumn and disperse the seeds through their droppings.

mutualism

Western Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Bees, especially honey bees, heavily forage on the abundant nectar-producing flowers during late summer.

eaten by

Human

Homo sapiens

Humans harvest the tender young shoots in early spring as a culinary delicacy.

Merkmale

Für dieses Objekt sind noch keine Merkmal-Badges vergeben.

Auch bekannt als

Noch keine Alternativnamen vorhanden.

Sammlungen

Sammlungen für dieses Objekt erscheinen hier, wenn weitere Themen hinzugefügt werden.

Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wie identifiziert man Japanese Angelica Tree?

Der einfachste Weg, Japanese Angelica Tree zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.

Was ist der/die/das länge von Japanese Angelica Tree?

300-1000 cm

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Japanese Angelica Tree?

20-40 Jahre

Was frisst Japanese Angelica Tree?

As a photoautotrophic plant, it manufactures its own food using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water through photosynthesis, supplemented by minerals absorbed through its root system.

Wo findet man Japanese Angelica Tree normalerweise?

Found in open woodlands, forest edges, clearing margins, and disturbed areas where plenty of sunlight is available.