Practical
Plants

Angelica gigas

Giant Angelica

a perennial member of the Angelica genus in the family Umbelliferae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.8 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

All members of this genus contain furocoumarins, which increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and may cause dermatitis[5].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - cooked[1][2].

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The root is used in Korea to treat anaemia, hemiplegia and women's diseases[7]. It ontains a number of active compounds and has been shown to increase duodenum motility and have an anti-platelet aggregation action[7].

Product or use
Blood tonic
Product or use
Women's complaints

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat
Grassy places and open woods in the mountains[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe since the seed only has a short viability[4]. Seed can also be sown in the spring, though germination rates will be lower. It requires light for germination[4]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring. The seed can also be sow in situ as soon as it is ripe.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a deep moist fertile soil in dappled shade or full sun[4]. Hardy to about -20°c[3]. Plants flower in 2 years from seed[3] and are reliably perennial if prevented from setting seed[4].

References

  1. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  2. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  3. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩

  6. Flora of Japan www.foj.info

  7. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

    ↩1↩2

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