Cryptotaenia

Family: Orchids. Name: known as "Mitsu-ba" or Japanese parsley.

Description: the genus contains two species from shady, moist forests of North America and East Asia: Cryptotaenia canadensis and Cryptotaenia japonica. Previously other species (C. africana, C. calycina and C. elegans) were included in the genus, but molecular studies have shown that they do not belong to the genus Cryptotaenia.

Location: partial shade or a sunny site. In full sun the leaves may turn yellow.

Soil: fairly fertile, well-drained. Not demanding about acidity; grows well in both heavy and light soils.

Care: requires regular watering. No winter shelter required. This plant is favored by slugs and snails; young shoots especially require protection.

Propagation: easily grown from seed, which are sown for seedlings in April. The optimal temperature for germination is 25 degrees, although seeds germinate successfully at higher or lower temperatures. Can also be sown in autumn. Under favorable conditions it self-seeds abundantly. Divide the plant in spring or autumn.

Uses: in landscape-style gardens, in group plantings under trees. Leaves and shoots are used as a seasoning. In Chinese medicine the plant is included in tonic preparations. In large quantities it is poisonous and may cause skin irritation. For culinary purposes it is grown as an annual crop.

Companions: Brunnera, Pulmonaria 'Majeste', Uvularia grandiflora, and light-colored hostas such as H. plantaginea 'Aphrodite'.