Description
This is, in the wild anyway, a rare species from Shikoku Island.
Though rare Asarum costatum is well established in cultivation, by virtue of its clumping habit. It makes lovely, shiny, evergreen, leaves to some 12 cm long. The upper surface of these can be plain or more usually variously patterned in silver and sage green. Based on the leaf patterns, there are now selected clones entering horticulture from Japan.
Under the leaves lurk typical Asarum flowers which classically in this species are said to be bent a little into the shape of a “Dutchman’s pipe” though to me the shape is reminiscent of the elongated Paracas skulls found in Peru and often cited as evidence of ancient aliens. The clonal form Ujo has the most remarkable flower colouring, it is an albino form with very pale caramel-cream blooms and is stunningly beautiful (for an Asarum that is).
This takes heat very well and can be grown indoors as a glasshouse plant as well as out in the garden where it is fully hardy, with us anyway.
Introduced to our lists in December 2019