Japanese angelica

This shrub is often thought of as a bit of a menace, suckering all over the place; there is a certain amount of truth in this, I have to say! It's sometimes derided for its habit of dropping its huge pinnate leaves in a rather messy way in autumn, often leaving them hung up on the thick stems, and in winter it has a rather gaunt outline, with a fairly sparsely branched habit.

Well so what, I say! I love it! I have one outside my house and I intend to dig up the suckers and begin an extensive patch somewhere in the garden here, the real Arduaine Garden that is, so that visitors can walk through it and admire the white flowers which come out as the foliage is beginning to turn, creating a lovely effect - in my humble opinion.

Aralia elata , the Japanese Angelica Tree, was introduced to Britain from its native Japan around 1830.