Double Flowered Fish Mint 八重咲きのドクダミ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Fish mints (Houttuynia cordata) are native to Asia and can be found across Japan. Those in the post are specifically double-flowered fish mints (Houttuynia cordata var. Plenus), one of my favorite plants! Fish mints produce beautiful white flowers from May to August in Japan although what look like petals are actually bracts as those of Cornus kousa are. 

Fish mints are used in Chinese medicine and in Japan, fish mint tea is said to be effective for skin problems. I suffered from severe acne in my teenage years so my late maternal granny sometimes sent me fish mint tea bags. I don't know if they were effective but I believe that thanks to the tea, I have no acne or any serious skin problems now. 

2026/5/29 Triplets

Fish Mint (Houttuynia Cordata) ドクダミ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Fish mint (Houttuynia cordata) is invasive and smelly but its color contrast between the green yellow spike, the white bracts surrounding it, and the deep green leaves (whose edge is red) is so beautiful and always attracts me. 

I have a good memory of fish mint. My late maternal grandma, who ran a small Japanese green tea shop after her husband (i.e., my maternal grandpa) had died, often sent fish mint tea to me, who was suffering serious acne at that time. 

Fish mint tea is known for curing acne in Japan. It didn't taste good and I didn't like it, but I was so desperate that I drank the tea as many times as possible. My acne problem hadn't been cured until a skin doctor applied special treatment, but I'm pretty sure that the fish mint tea grandma gave me improved my skin condition!

Fish mint's English and Japanese names both don't describe its prettiness or medical efficacy, but even so, when passing by the flowers, I always feel warm and encouraged by Grandma, who lost her husband in her early 30s and after that raised her four daughters by herself, and maybe because of that, who was too busy to smile. Her favorite line was, "What's inside counts most!" When seeing fish mint I always ask myself what's inside of me.

2026/5/16

2022/5/20

GREEN Fish Mint (Houttuynia Cordata Var. Plenus) 緑の八重咲きドクダミ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I saw double-flowered fish mint (Houttuynia cordata var. Plenus) for the first time last year and a green one for the first time yesterday! Can you believe that? Fish mints can be double-flowered and also GREEN. Single flowered fish mints are everywhere at this time of year, but not double-flowered ones. I've found only two places where double-flowered ones are growing and only one green fish mint in my neighborhood. 

2025/5/23

2025/5/18

2025/5/18