Aralia cordata — identification & habitat

Udo, also called Japanese spikenard, is a big leafy perennial from East Asia that's grown in Japan for its crisp, aromatic spring shoots. In the United States it's mostly a garden plant, especially the golden-leaved 'Sun King', which was the 2020 Perennial Plant of the Year.

Appearance

Appearance: A fast-growing , 4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m) tall and nearly as wide in gardens. It dies back in fall and comes back from a thick rootstock in spring.
Leaves: Huge leaves divided two or three times into many leaflets, each about 3–6 in (7–15 cm) long.
Flowers: Small cream to white flowers in round clusters from late July through September. Bees visit them.
Fruit: Tiny black berries, about 1/8 in (3 mm) across, after the flowers.

Look-alikes

American spikenardAralia racemosa

Both are tall, shade-loving herbs with big compound leaves, and they're hard to tell apart from photos alone. American spikenard is the one native to woods across most of the eastern US, while udo is usually a garden plant.

Why they get mixed upClose relatives in the same genus with a very similar look.

Japanese angelica treeAralia elata

Japanese angelica tree is a woody shrub or small tree with prickly gray bark. Udo is a soft, spineless herb that dies back each winter.

Why they get mixed upBoth come from East Asia and have similar large divided leaves and white flower clusters.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: woodland edges
shady slopes
gardens
Range: Native to Japan, Korea, eastern China, and the Russian Far East. In the US you'll mostly see it in gardens.
Preferred conditions: Prefers part shade and moist, well-drained soil. It can take more sun if it gets steady water. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.
Flowering: Flowers Jul–Sep
Flowers Jul–Sep

Growing it

Care: Low-maintenance and rarely bothered by deer or serious pests. Water it during long droughts. Cut it back in fall or late winter.
Propagation: Grown from root divisions, cuttings, or seed. Seed needs months of cold before it sprouts.
Toxicity: The small dark berries are not edible and may be toxic. Raw stems taste resinous, so they are peeled, soaked, or cooked before eating.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms: 'Sun King' has bright gold leaves in part sun that turn lime green in deep shade. Plantsman Barry Yinger found it at a garden center in Japan.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: Udo came to the United States in the early 1900s as a possible vegetable, but it never caught on commercially.

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