Houttuynia

Chameleon Plant, Houttuynia

Houttuynia cordata

Saururaceae - Lizard-tail Family

▲ ▼ plants in a groundcover bed

▲ ▼ leaf and flower details

Houttuynia cordata: Chameleon Plant, Houttuynia

Location on campus: in the planting area on the east side of Karls Hall, in front of the tall windows to the south of the main (northeast) entrance.

• Dark green or green and white or pink variegated, alternate, heart-shaped leaves 2-3 inches long and 2/3 to equally wide with pointed leaf tips and long petioles
• Leaves have strong odor--sort of musky, some say diesel-fuel-like
• Produces creeping rhizomes to form a dense groundcover 6-12 inches tall
• Prefers full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained, fertile soil
• Produces upright spike-like flowers with white petals around the base in early summer
• May invade lawns or take over smaller plants in planting beds in good growing sites, if not pulled back