Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Japanese angelica-tree Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Apiales Family: Araliaceae Genus: Aralia Species: elata Binomial name Aralia elata Seem. The Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata) is an upright deciduous small tree or shrub up to 6 meters in height, with large double pinnate leaves. It is known as tara in Japan. Japanese angelica tree prefers deep loamy soils in partial shade, but will grow in poorer soils and in full sun. Features: Leaf - large(2-4 foot long), doubly pinnate, alternate leaves. Flower - small white blooms in large panicles from July to August. Fruit - small black drupes. Bark - rough and gray with prickles. In Japan, the shoots are eaten in the spring. They are picked from the end of the branches and are fried in a tempura batter. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.