The Gardeners Almanac

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Houttuyania

Common name: Fish Wort or Chameleon plant

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Week Numbers

Coldframe

Collect seeds

Compost

Division

Planting out

Pricking out

Sowing seeds

Overview:

Houttuyania cordata

Over grown patch of coloured leaves

Houttuyania cordata-Chameleon

Houttuynia cordata is an invasive hardy herbaceous perennial, that will thrive in cool moist soil, light shade, or shallow water 25-50mm (1”-2”) deep.

It grows to around 300-500mm (12”-18”) high.

It is grown generally for its variegated sour citrus smelling foliage rather than its inconspicuous flowers.

The variegations are seen as splashes of cream yellow, pink, and red on the leaves.

The white flower spikes appear in late spring.


Cultivation:

Week 17:

Divide the plant/s regularly to limit spread and plant the divisions 250-300mm apart.

Alternatively, and probably the best method of propagation, is to plant the divisions in 100mm (4”) pots of potting compost and grow on in a coldframe till planting out time.


Circa Week 26:

Collect seeds and sow immediately into pots/trays of seed compost and place in a cold frame to germinate.

Prick out into individual pots when seedlings are large enough to handle.


Week 35:

Plant out cuttings 250-300mm apart in moist, humus-rich, fertile soil in full sun or part shade.