Description
A little known plant classically thought of as Chinese but also ranging across Vietnam, S. Korea and Japan as far north as the southern Kurile Islands. This is a herbaceous, woodland species has a slightly creeping rootstock and a reddish stem, top with four leaves, which are held at right angles to each other, sitting below one or two lax and elongated spikes of small, pure white, fragrant flowers from April on. The flowers are small than those of the perhaps more familiar C. japonicus, but they are tightly packed into the candle-like spike.
The plant eventually reaches about 30cm tall, with glossy, serrate (tooth-edged) leaves which are broader than C. japonicus and which form an almost complete disc. They are remarkably decorative and look good planted in association with woodland subjects like dwarf ferns and Trillium, growing through and with them.
Fully hardy and very tolerant. Choose a site in part- or light-shade, a 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, as most of this group don’t really like it and can sulk for a year. After this they will slowly spread outwards each year but they are never invasive.
Introduced to our lists January 2022
