Japanese name: ヤマハゼ（山黄櫨、山櫨） Scientific name:Toxicodendron sylvestre
[Overview]
A deciduous small tree 5–10 m tall, found in mountain forests.
Young branches are at first densely covered with brown hairs.
Leaves are alternate, odd-pinnately compound, 20–40 cm long, clustered at the branch tips, and consist of 9–17 leaflets.
The leaflets are asymmetrically ovate-oblong, 4–13 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, with entire margins.
Both surfaces of the leaves are sparsely hairy, especially on the veins of the underside.
The leaf rachis is also hairy.
The leaves turn red in autumn.
Dioecious; both male and female flowers are borne in large numbers on panicles 10–20 cm long arising from the leaf axils, and are small, yellowish green and 5-petaled.
The fruit is oblate, 7–8 mm across, and ripens to a glossy yellowish brown.
[Uses]
The mokuro obtained from the fruit (drupe) is used as a raw material for Japanese candles, and as a base for suppositories and ointments.
The leaves are also used medicinally.
The wood is used for crafts and small woodwork.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It is easy to grow in any soil as long as the site is sunny and well drained.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Fertilizer is not particularly necessary.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
[Notes]
Because it belongs to the Urushi family, some people get a rash from it depending on their constitution, so caution is necessary.
