Vap ca, Lizard Tail, Fish Mint, Chameleon Plant, Yu Xing Cao, Houttuynia cordata

With its heart shaped leaves, fish herb is a very pretty groundcover for moist shady places. It can also be grown in swampy soil and is very suitable for pots.

Lizard tail is an important medicinal herb used in Asian traditional medicine systems. It is used to fight cancer and has detoxifing, antiviral (even against HIV), antibacterial, antifungal, antitussive, mildly laxative, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic properties.

There are two forms of Houttuynia cordata: the variegated, which is often sold as an ornamental plant and the usual green form which is grown as a leaf vegetable and cooking herb in its native region South East Asia. The herb has an unusual fishy taste.

Houttuynia cordata is a creepy herbaceous perennial which likes moist shady places. In hotter areas the plant might be invasive. Can be used as a pond or bog plant. Due to its possible invasiveness, keep it away from waterways – in doubt, grow it in a big pot, bathtub or kiddy pool!

Other common names: fishwort, doku-dami (Japan), yu xing cao (China)