A Colorful Character in the Garden

Chameleon plant known botanically as Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’. While this plant is most famous for its vividly variegated leaves, its small, intriguing flowers are worth a closer look. Though subtle compared to its foliage, the Chameleon plant's blooms offer a unique aesthetic and an interesting story.The Chameleon plant is a perennial herb native to Southeast Asia, where it grows wild in damp, shaded environments. It belongs to the Saururaceae family and is often grown for ornamental purposes in gardens around the world. Its heart-shaped leaves are splashed with green, yellow, and red tones hence the name “Chameleon.”

The Chameleon plant typically blooms in late spring to early summer. Its flowers are not flashy in the traditional sense; instead, they exhibit a quiet beauty. Each bloom consists of four white petal-like bracts surrounding a central spike of tiny, yellow-green true flowers. These bracts give the appearance of a single flower and are reminiscent of dogwood or poinsettia blooms, which also feature bracts.The flowers are small only about an inch across and are often nestled among the lush foliage, which can sometimes overshadow them. But when you catch them at the right angle, especially in dappled sunlight, they provide a delicate contrast to the colorful leaves.