Description of Houttuynia cordata 'Flore Pleno'

Houttuynia cordata 'Flore Pleno' is a vigorous ground cover for wet soil, grown for heart-shaped leaves and double white flowers. It’s sometimes sold as double-flowered chameleon plant, though this cultivar is usually more about the flowers than leaf colour.

Appearance

It makes a spreading carpet of green heart-shaped leaves. In summer, it produces double white flowers that sit above the foliage. It stays around 20 to 40cm tall but can spread widely through damp soil.

Care Guide

It loves moisture and it moves fast. Containment is the key in a mixed bog garden.

• Sun: Sun to part shade. More sun usually gives denser growth.
• Soil: Moist, heavy soil or rich compost in a pot sunk into the bog.
• Water: Keep consistently wet.
• Control: Grow in a container or basket and trim runners.
• Tidy up: Cut back hard if it looks tired, it usually regrows well.

If you see plain green shoots racing ahead, cut them back so the plant keeps a compact shape.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits bog gardens when you need ground cover between taller plants. It’s also useful for softening edges near paths, where it can fill gaps quickly.

In small bog gardens, plant it in a solid pot sunk into the substrate so roots can’t run. That gives you the look without the fight.

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