Herb: Ukogi


Latin name: Eleutherococcus sieboldianus


Synonyms: Acanthopanax pentaphyllus, Acanthopanax spinosus, Aralia pentaphylla


Family: Araliaceae (Ginseng Family)



Edible parts of Ukogi:

Young leaves - cooked. A delicious somewhat fragrant flavour. The dried leaves are a tea substitute.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

Escaped from cultivation in Japan, where it grows wild in calcareous soils.

Other uses of Ukogi:

The plant is used as a hedge.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. It can be slow to germinate. Stored seed requires 6 months warm followed by 3 months cold stratification and can be very slow to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of ripe wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 30cm long in a cold frame. Root cuttings in late winter. Division of suckers in the dormant season.

Cultivation of Ukogi:

Escaped from cultivation in Japan, where it grows wild in calcareous soils.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Eleutherococcus sieboldianus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.