Aralia elata

Aralia elata, the Japanese Angelica tree, forms a large bush with immense and highly dissected foliage. It takes on sumptuous yellow and red colours as soon as the first cold weather arrives. Spectacular flowering of large white clusters begins in summer and lasts until autumn. This Aralia is a true festival of colours for the late season, bursting forth like a grand finale in the garden.

Japanese Angelica belongs to the Araliaceae family. It is native to Japan and northeastern Asia. It is a spreading bush that can reach 4 to 5 metres (13 ft - 16 ft) in height, or even 10 metres (33 ft) in some regions, and its spread will exceed 5 metres (16 ft) once mature. Young plants grow on a single trunk, bearing leaves only at the top, but with age more and more lateral branches appear. The bark is grey, with small spiky patches. These sharp thorns can also be found on the twigs. The foliage is deciduous. The leaves, dark green on the top and lighter on the underside, are compound. They can sometimes reach 1 metre (3 ft 2 in) in length, are highly dissected, and have small thorns on the petiole. The flowers appear in late summer and last for several weeks. They are tiny cream-white dots grouped together in a light cloud reminiscent of a fragrant fog buzzing with bees that hovers above the foliage. They are actually grouped in a flexible 30 to 60 cm (11.8 - 23.6 in) long panicle. Small blackish fruits follow, highly sought after by birds. Aralia elata tends to multiply by suckering and forms clumps, which is why it is called the walking tree.

It is a beautiful bush that can withstand shade as well as sunlight; its decorative foliage should be protected from strong winds to preserve its beauty. Once established, it is superb as a solitary plant on a lawn or grouped together to form a cluster. It works well when combined with trees and shrubs that, like itself, appreciate moist to wet soil, such as buckthorn, rosemary-leaved willow, and guelder rose. In a more exotic setting, choose to associate it with other beautiful Asian plants, such as the caramel tree, Japanese maple, fatsia, or Arisaema. The only precaution to take, considering its sharp thorns, is to keep young children away from it.

Aralia elata is also a medicinal plant. Its berries and bark contain a stimulating compound used in medicine. The bark is used in herbal medicine.