Content
- Japanese maple is not poisonous
- In Japan, leaves and shoots are even eaten
- Watch out for red maple
- Tips
In Japan, the leaves of the non-toxic Japanese maple are even eaten raw
Japanese maple is not poisonous
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) and golden maple (Acer shirasawanum) are often cultivated here as exotic ornamental shrubs. However, there are many other species, but almost all of them are non-toxic.
In Japan, leaves and shoots are even eaten
Traditionally, the Maple, no matter what kind and variety, used for nutrition worldwide: from North America, for example, the maple syrup is known, but also in Europe, people for many centuries from the bleeding juice native maple species a sweet syrup. In addition, the young leaves and shoots were either consumed as raw vegetables, boiled or pickled as sour vegetables - a procedure that is still common in some parts of Japan today.
Watch out for red maple
Although the Japanese Maple, no matter what kind and variety, is not poisonous, but may be overgrown by a specific, poisonous fungus. This, however, is found only on the bark of Rotahornnen, but not on also red-leaved fanethorns.
Tips
Young shoots and seedlings can be collected in March / April. Even the sweet tasting flowers are suitable for consumption.