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Aralia elata

Phonetic Spelling
ah-RAY-lee-ah el-AH-tuh
Description

Japanese Angelia Tree is a deciduous multistemmed large shrub or small tree in the Araliaceae family.  This plant can be found in the wild, in eastern Asia, where it usually grows much larger, up to 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide, than is usually observed in home gardens where it more typically grows up to 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Although this plant is drought tolerant and does not mind a range of soil types, it prefers moist, well-drained soil.

It can spread by suckers and self-seeding, resulting in thickets.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  It is a rapidly growing weedy plant that can outgrow and outcompete native plants.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Aureovariegata', 'Variegata'
Tags:
#purple#thorns#deciduous#full sun tolerant#drought tolerant#white flowers#purple leaves#red leaves#yellow leaves#fall interest#moist soil#fast growing#multistemmed#spines#thickets#self-seeding#purple fruits#fall color red#fall color purple#partial shade tolerant#weed
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Aureovariegata', 'Variegata'
Tags:
#purple#thorns#deciduous#full sun tolerant#drought tolerant#white flowers#purple leaves#red leaves#yellow leaves#fall interest#moist soil#fast growing#multistemmed#spines#thickets#self-seeding#purple fruits#fall color red#fall color purple#partial shade tolerant#weed
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Aralia
    Species:
    elata
    Family:
    Araliaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Eastern Asia
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    moist soil; a range of soil types
    Dimensions:
    Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Shrub
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Multi-stemmed
    Multi-trunked
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    High
    Texture:
    Medium
    Appendage:
    Spines
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    6-feet-12 feet
    12-24 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Black
    Purple/Lavender
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Drupe
    Fruit Description:
    Purple to black fruits appear in summer and ripen into fall.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Cream/Tan
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Panicle
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    This plant has 12 to 18 in. white to cream panicles of flowers that are not as tall as they are wide. Blooms from late July to August.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Purple/Lavender
    Red/Burgundy
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Other/more complex
    Leaf Shape:
    Pinnatisect
    Leaf Margin:
    Dentate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    This plant has 2-4 foot long tripinnately compound leaves with up to 80 leaflets. 3" to 5.5" in. leaflets with toothed to smooth margins and prominent center veins that go all the way to the tip of the left. There are spines in the leaf axis. Leaves turn yellow to reddish-purple for their fall color.
  • Bark:
    Bark Description:
    The bark has sharp thorns.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    There are large spines on stems.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Naturalized Area
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Small Tree
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Pollution
    Problems:
    Spines/Thorns
    Weedy