Description
Chloranthus are a member of the Chloranthaceae, a family which trace their origins way back to the early cretaceous at which time they started to diverge from the main branch of flowering plants. They are considered to have no close relatives. C. japonicus has a slightly creeping rootstock, from which grow, short, reddish stems topped by a whorl of four, serrated-edged leaves which sit below (normally) a spike of white, scented flowers borne in early spring. Ryokusaiken is a very rare and fascinating variety of Chloranthus japonicus in which the floral parts are all transformed in leafy bracts, held in a tight, higgledy-piggledy tassel atop the floral stems. Ryokusaiken incidentally means ‘green coloured blades’.
Growth is exactly as form the normal forms and the plant reaches about 30cm tall eventually, make glossy, tooth-edged leaves. Siting and growth involves part- or light-shade, well-drained but moisture-retentive, acidic compost or soil and, as with all Chloranthaceae, a degree of patience to allow it to re-establish after transplanting, which most of this group don’t really like. Chloranthus associate well in the garden with dwarf ferns and Trillium and this will also give you a good idea of the conditions that they prefer.
Introduced to our lists January 2022
