Fish mint

It has a distinctive odor, but it is not poisonous.

Scientific name	Houttuynia cordata
English name	Fish mint
Japanese name	蕺
Class	magnoliids
Order	Piperales
Family	Saururaceae
Genus	Houttuynia
Species	cordata
Full length	20-60cm (height)
Distribution	Distributed in East Asia and Southeast Asia. In Japan, it is found from southern Hokkaido and southward.

Fish mint Characteristics and Morphology

A wild grass characterized by its unique odor.
The white, petal-like parts are leaves called bracts, and the true flowers grow densely in the center of the bracts. The spadix blooms from the bottom up. The leaves are cordate (heart-shaped), lack gloss, and have pointed tips. The edges are reddish-purple.

Fish mint Ecology

Habitat

Grows in clusters in dark, damp places.

Life Cycle

Flowers bloom from spring to summer. It is highly reproductive, so it will grow quite a bit if left unattended. It also reproduces from underground stems.

Fish mint Photos

Fish mint Photos are introduced.
Tap the photo to open the detail page.

The inflorescence blooms from the bottom.

The tips of the leaves are pointed and the edges are reddish-purple.

Fish mint Information

Naming

The specific name "cordata" means "heart-shaped" and is derived from the shape of the Houttuynia cordata leaf. The English name "Fish mint" comes from the fact that the unique odor is compared to the fishy smell of seafood.

Fish mint Found Locations

Along the Sakaigawa River

I photographed flowers growing in clusters in a dark, damp vacant lot along the Sakaigawa River. Some had inflorescences emerging from bracts that were just beginning to open. The inflorescences emerged from the bottom, which I believe corresponds to the order in which they bloom (from bottom to top).
The bracts that open in a cross shape look like flowers and stand out well in the dark.