Plant Details

Aralia cordata

Udo

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Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Aralia cordata.

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Common names

20 names · 12 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Udo
Other languages (11)
Dutch
  • Duivelswandelstok
  • Udo
French
  • Udo
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 九眼独活[1]
  • 土当归[1]
  • 食用土当归[1]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 九眼獨活[1]
  • 食用土當歸[1]
Czech
  • arálie Schmidtova[1]
  • arálie srdčitá[1]
Finnish
  • hertta-aralia[1]
Japanese
Korean
Russian
  • Аралия сердцевидная[1]
  • Аралия сердцевидная сахалинская[1]
Slovak
  • aralka srdcovitá[1]
Swedish
  • sallatsaralia[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Aralia cordata — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • ウド — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • 独活 — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • 食用土當歸 — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • Аралия сердцевидная — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • arálie srdčitá — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • sallatsaralia — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • 땅두릅 — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • 食用土当归 — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • 九眼獨活 — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • 九眼独活 — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • 土当归 — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • hertta-aralia — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • Аралия сердцевидная сахалинская — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • arálie Schmidtova — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • エゾウド — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.
  • aralka srdcovitá — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 119830; Aralia cordata.

General information

Scientific name: Aralia cordata
Accepted name (Kew): Aralia cordata Thunb. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Araliaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Aralia (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Udo
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 1.80 m
Spread: - m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 7-10
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Shade

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Root, Stems
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
None

Description

Young branched shoots of a plant can be eaten both raw and cooked. They can grow up to 1.5 meters long and have a mild and pleasant flavor, often blanched. The shoots are bright and tender with a unique lemon-like taste. They are ideal for adding to salads, soups, and other dishes. The shoots contain about 1.1% protein, 0.42% fat, 0.8% soluble carbohydrates, and 0.55% ash. The root of this plant, when cooked, is used as an alternative to salsify.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/08
Harvest ends: 31/10

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 957108; name ID 13950; Aralia L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 957155; name ID 14013; Aralia cordata Thunb..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Aralia cordata

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 4835507, ID G4RP: Aralia cordata Thunb. (accepted).

    Source checked on .