This plant can be a menace in your garden and it also can be fun.

Very often sold as a bog plant because it thrives in water as high as the root crown. But as all bog plants it is also drought hardy & adapts to dryer locations.

It does fine in sun or shade, but the variegated leaves with a wide range of color do much better in sun.

The white flowers appear in June & July, but are not as significant  than the colorful variegated leaves, which have a potent scent if crushed. The white roots or scented too.

In Asia the leaves are used in salads, & the white roots cleaned & cut to lengths make a spicy substitute for bean sprouts. The strain native to Viet Nam has a flavor akin to coriander, while the Japanese strain is a sweet combination of lemon, orange, & ginger.

The species is found in much of China, Java, Nepal, Southeast Asia & Japan, preferring temperate zones or cool mountain heights.

Zone 5-9.