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Houttuynia cordata

Chameleon · Chameleon Flower · Chameleon Plant

Family SaururaceaeGenus Houttuynia

A white flower of four petal-like bracts around an upright cone-like green spike, above heart-shaped leaves
FlowerAgnieszka Kwiecień, NovaCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Ground Cover, Perennial, Water PlantExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
rhizomatous geophytePlants of the World Online
Height
0.5-1.7 ft15-50 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
1-10 ft0.3-3 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Green, WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
Spring, SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
4-10Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Deep shade; Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Frequent Standing Water, Moist, Occasional Flooding, Occasionally WetExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Called fish mint and chameleon plant. Its roots run deep and spread, so in gardens it can become invasive and hard to get rid of. It was named after Martinus Houttuyn. Wikipedia: Houttuynia cordata

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 42 days to germinate.

45% germination in 28–42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Houttuynia p. 49Public domain
Show the original text
Houttuynia (Saururaceae). H. cordata germ. 70L(45% in 4-6 w) and none in 70D, 70 GA-3, 40-70D, or OT.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Houttuynia p. 49. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Houttuynia p. 49Public domain
Show the original text
Houttuynia (Saururaceae). H. cordata germ. 70L(45% in 4-6 w) and none in 70D, 70 GA-3, 40-70D, or OT.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Houttuynia p. 49. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Nothing germinated outdoors.

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

This source doesn't state how long step 1 lasts.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Houttuynia p. 49Public domain
Show the original text
Houttuynia (Saururaceae). H. cordata germ. 70L(45% in 4-6 w) and none in 70D, 70 GA-3, 40-70D, or OT.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Houttuynia p. 49. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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