Chameleon Plant
Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’
Other Common Names: Bishop’s Weed, Heartleaf, Lizard Tail ‘Chameleon’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Deciduous Perennial Groundcover
Height or Length at Maturity: 6-12″
Width at Maturity: 24 inches or more
Spacing: 18-24″ apart for mass planting
Spacing: 18-24″ apart for mass planting
Growth Habit / Form: Spreading
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Flower Color: White
Flower Type: Single
Flower Size: 1″
Flowering Period: Late Spring to Early Summer
Flowering Period: Late Spring to Early Summer
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Multicolor, Orange, Apricot, Pink, Rose, Red, Light Green, Medium Green, Blue, Yellow, White, Cream, Mottled/Spotted
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Sun Needs: Full Sun, Part Shade, Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Afternoon Sun, or All-Day Filtered Sun
Water Needs: Average to High
Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt
Soil Drainage: Moist But Well Drained to Wet
Soil pH: 6.0 – 6.5 (Mildl6y Acidic)
Maintenance / Care: Low if provided ample room to spread or in containers
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer, Disease, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Wet Soil
Description
With multicolor foliage in shades of orange, red, pink, white, green, blue and yellow, the Chameleon plant is a hardy spreading perennial that provides unique color in the garden…or you can grow it in pots that can be kept indoors or outdoors year round. In late spring to early summer unique white flowers rise just above the foliage providing additional interest, but it’s the multicolor foliage that steals the show. While it’s primarily used as a filler or groundcover plant it does have a tendency to spread vigorously in consistently moist to even wet soils. If you don’t want to grow it as a groundcover it is perfectly suited for containers that you can even submerge in the margin of the garden pond.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing 6 to 12 inches tall and spreading 24 inches or more, the Chameleon Plant can be grown outdoors or indoors as a potted house plant. We use it outdoors as a filler or groundcover plant in areas with soil that tends to stay moist or wet. We also have it growing in containers that are submerged in the margins of the garden pond. Also nice tucked around boulders in rock gardens and around the garden pond or as a solo or accent and spiller plant in combination container gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 24 inches apart for mass plantings
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Growing Preferences
The Chameleon Plant is very easy to grow in a consistently moist to wet soil and full sun to part shade. It prefers a mildly acidic soil. Full sun provides the brightest foliage colors however we think the habit of this plant fits best in a partially shaded woodland or wetland setting where it has room to spread. Established plants growing in shade have moderate drought tolerance.
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Planted this in an area that is bound by concrete (road and/or driveway) and so should you! Please do research on this plant because it can be quite invasive. Seems like there are as many web links on ‘how do I get rid of’ this plant as there are on basic info for it. That said, my cordata is in the ground, totally unfazed by transplant, and already getting coloration and growth. Bonus: press a leaf for a most pleasing aroma…smells like rain on lemon tree bark.———————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! I totally agree with you!! Love this plant! Beth | WBG 🙂























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