Description
This small species has very hairy leaves and stems which hold plain green, hairy, heart-shaped leaves which are lightly marked in zones of white patches. The foliage sits above very long-tailed flowers of wine red and brown. The flowers are hairy on the reverse and on the ovary.
Although this is cultivated material of Japanese nursery origins, the flowers are remarkably like those of A. shuttleworthii from the USA. In fact the species spreads widely across several Chinese provinces and is also found both in Taiwan and Vietnam.
Easy under garden conditions and this will spread gently in a humus-rich soil in light shade. This plant is used medicinally in China, however we would strongly caution you that all Asarum generally are extremely toxic, causing kidney damage and potentially cancers, if consumed. Despite their use in folk-medicine, this should never be ingested.
