Description
It is an upright deciduous small tree or shrub growing up to 6 m in height, native to eastern Russia, China, Korea, and Japan.
In Japan it is known as tara-no-ki (Katakana: タラノキ/Kanji: 楤木), and in Korea as dureup namu (두릅나무). It prefers deep loamy soils in partial shade, but will grow in poorer soils and in full sun. The plant is sometimes cultivated, often in a variegated form, for its exotic appearance.
The bark is rough and gray with prickles. The leaves are alternate, large, 60–120 cm long, and double pinnate. The flowers are produced in large umbels in late summer, each flower small and white. The fruit is a small black drupe.
Aralia elata is closely related to the American species Aralia spinosa, with which it is easily confused.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Read more about this topic: Aralia Elata
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