Growing udo
SOME of you may have come across the shrubby Aralia spinosa – named the devil’s walking stick, due to its evil-looking spines – but you may prefer to give its far better behaved relative A. cordata a place in your garden. Devoid of nasty spines and more herbaceous in nature, the new shoots of this architectural plant can be harvested like asparagus. ‘Sun King’ is a readily available variety, its golden leaves making a bold statement in any garden.
Give udo (aka Japanese spikenard) a sunny or part-shaded, sheltered site, expecting the clump-forming plants to grow 5ft/1½m tall at maturity (its spears are frost- tender so avoid exposed plots). The new shoots are coated in a protective layer, which can be removed by rapid boiling for a few minutes, before eating.