Japanese Angelica Tree Aralia Elata

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Japanese angelica tree Aralia elata

Description

Introduced to the United States in 1830.

Habit

Upright deciduous shrub or tree reaching a height of 20 to 40 ft. and a width of 15 to 30 ft. with an irregular, spreading, multi-stemmed form.

Leaves

Dark green in color, alternate, 2-4 ft. long, bi- or tri-pinnately compound. Pubescent beneath, with veins running to the ends of the serrations.

Leaves turn yellow to reddish purple in the fall and may drop early in the season.

Stems

Covered in spines, coarse, thick with prominent large leaf scars.

Flowers

Source: MISIN. 2021. Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. Michigan State University - Applied Spatial Ecology and Technical Services Laboratory. Available online at https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail.php?id=420. Cream white in color, grow in large panicles and bloom in late summer (July-August).

Inflorescence branches from the base.

Fruits and Seeds

Small purple to black berries produced by the flowers.

Habitat

Native to Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Russian Far East. Can be found in moist, well drained soil and prefers sun to partial shade locations.

Reproduction

Vegetatively.

Similar

Devil's walkingstick (Aralia spinosa).

Monitoring and Rapid Response

Cut, pull, dig up or mow young plants. Can be effectively controlled using any of several readily available general use herbicides such as glyphosate.

Credits

The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from USDA Forest Service Weed of the Week

06-13-05. Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the

Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org). Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com).