Dahurian angelica is a tall relative of carrots and parsley from northeastern Asia, best known as bai zhi, a root used in traditional Chinese medicine. It doesn't grow wild in the United States.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A perennial about 3–6.5 ft (1–2 m) tall with a stout, hollow, purplish-green stem and a thick brown root.
- Flowers
- Small greenish-white flowers in large umbrella-shaped clusters (), blooming July to September in its native range.
- Fruit
- Seeds ripen from August to October.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Riverbanks
- Streamsides
- Rocky thickets
- Range
- Native from Siberia and the Russian Far East to Mongolia, northeastern China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. It isn't found in the wild in the US. The root is mainly produced in Sichuan, China, and it's also grown in Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.
- Preferred conditions
- In the wild it grows near rivers and streams and among rocky shrubs.
Cautions
- Cautions
- The plant contains compounds that can make skin extra sensitive to sunlight and cause a rash. In large doses its toxin can cause convulsions and paralysis.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- The roots smell like wild carrot and taste pungent and bitter.
- Besides its use in traditional medicine, the root has been used in cosmetics, and the seeds have flavored liqueurs.
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