Houttuynia cordata

Chameleon plant is groundcover in the Saururaceae family native to southeast Asia.  The genus name Houttuynia comes from the 18th centry Dutch naturalist Martin Houttuyn.  Cordata is Latin for heart-shaped referring to leaves.

With a creeping habit, it spreads quickly by rhizomes reaching one to two feet in height and can continuously spread along the ground as it grows. While it is very shade tolerant, it does not tolerate drought conditions, preferring moist soil to shallow standing water (1-2 in.) This plant can become very difficult to remove once established. 

Exercise caution when using this plant in the landscape by putting it in a 1 to 2-gallon container in the ground, or an area bounded by sidewalk or driveway to contain it.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Aphids, slugs and snails can be problematic. Spreads aggressively, consider native alternatives in the left-hand column.