This plant comes from the tropical and subtropical zone of East Asia: China, Japan, etc. It is cultivated as an ornamental in many parts of the world for its beautiful leaves and showy flowering, which takes place between spring and summer.
It grows well in semi-shade, and with sufficient watering, and is very suitable for planting in gardens, parks and paths.
It does not tolerate direct exposure to intense sunlight, which can burn the leaves, and requires a nutrient-rich, well-drained substrate.
Long sheets of its leaves are still used to wrap zongzi, a traditional Chinese dish made from rice. Its leaves are sold as herbal tea and are also used for noodles and wrapping rice mochi cakes.
In its regions of origin, it is widely used in folk medicine, with numerous properties attributed to it: antihypertensive, diuretic, spasmolytic, antioxidant, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial.
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