Angelica gigas - Giant Angelica

Family:	Umbelliferae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1.8
Synonyms:
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan.

Angelica gigas (Giant Angelica) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1.8m . It has a hardness rating of 0and is vunerable to frost.
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Insects

Soil Information

Giant Angelica will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Giant Angelica prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Giant Angelica can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Grassy places and open woods in the mountains[187].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge

Cultivation Details

Requires a deep moist fertile soil in dappled shade or full sun[200]. Hardy to about -20°c[187]. Plants flower in 2 years from seed[187] and are reliably perennial if prevented from setting seed[200].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Young leaves - cooked[177, 183].

• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 2/5
The root is used in Korea to treat anaemia, hemiplegia and women's diseases[279]. It ontains a number of active compounds and has been shown to increase duodenum motility and have an anti-platelet aggregation action[279].

• Blood tonic - Is this any different to a blood purifier?
• Women's complaints - A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe since the seed only has a short viability[200]. Seed can also be sown in the spring, though germination rates will be lower. It requires light for germination[200]. 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.

Known Hazards

All members of this genus contain furocoumarins, which increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and may cause dermatitis[238].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

Flora of Japan

Author:
Rating: www.foj.info
Publisher : An on-line version of the flora - an excellent resource.
Date of Publication : 0

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