Houttuynia, despite its difficult name (it's named after a Dutch naturalist), is a good ground cover for troubled spots. It has heart-shaped green leaves (some cultivars are colorfully variegated with yellow and red) and clusters of small yellow flowers surrounded by white bracts in summer. The foliage, when brushed against, smells like citrus.
- Common name: Houttuynia
- Botanical name: Houttuynia cordata
- Zones: 5 to 11
- Size: To 1 foot tall
- From: Areas of Asia
- Family: Saururaceae (lizard's tail family)
- Sun: Full sun, partial sun, or partial shade
- Soil: Plants prefer moist soils rich in organic matter but tolerate a range of soil types.
- Moisture: Plants prefer moist conditions and can grow at the side of a stream, pond, or bog.
- Mulch: A layer of mulch over the soil in the summer will help the soil conserve moisture and keep soil temperatures from rising too much.
- Pruning: Cut plants back after they freeze in autumn or before they grow in spring.
- Fertilizer: In most conditions, fertilizer is unnecessary.
- Division: Dive in spring, summer, or autumn.
- Seed: Sow seed outdoors in the garden or in a cold frame in autumn.
- Slugs/Snails: Slugs and snails tend to eat at night, chewing up leaves. To deter them, try surrounding plants with a ring of horticultural grade diatomaceous earth or a slug bait. Some people have found success with laying copper strips around plants, but this does not seem to work for everyone. If slugs are not particularly numerous, set out shallow containers of stale beer at ground level. Slugs, attracted to the beer, crawl into it and drown.
- This plant is a fast spreader, especially in moist soils. It may be wise to sink root barriers around houttuynia before planting to prevent it from spreading too much. Otherwise, site it someplace where it can grow as much as it wants without bothering other plants.
- Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon': Bears foliage variegated with yellow and red. Grows to about a foot tall. Zones 5 to 11.
- Houttuynia cordata ‘Floreo Pleno' has double flowers. Grows 1 foot tall. Zones 5 to 11.