Fall Deals:
15% OFF Strawberry Trees - Barbados Cherries - Papayas
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Roselle & Egyptian Spinach - Buy One Get One Free
🚚 Shipping Update:
We’re now shipping nationwide across the continental U.S. again! 🌱
📦 Please note: Shipping to California remains paused due to agricultural regulations.
🌿 Chameleon Plant (Houttuynia cordata) – Live Plant 🌈
Bring a splash of color and a burst of unique flavor to your garden with the Chameleon Plant! Known as Houttuynia cordata, this striking perennial is both a show-stopping groundcover and a culinary treasure cherished in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine. Its multicolored leaves and versatility make it a must-have for gardeners and home chefs alike.
🌿 Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Houttuynia cordata |
| Plant Type | Perennial herbaceous groundcover |
| Size at Sale | Ships in 4” pot |
| Mature Height & Width | ~12” tall, spreading rapidly (2–3 ft width) |
| USDA Zones | 4–9 |
| Sun Requirements | Full sun to full shade (color shows best with some sun) |
| Cold Hardiness | Down to -20°F |
| Growth Habit | Vigorous, creeping groundcover |
| Spacing Requirements | Plant 12–18” apart |
🍴 Flavor & Edible Uses
- Flavor Profile: Leaves and stems carry a refreshing citrus-pepper taste with a hint of coriander and spice, sometimes described as slightly “fishy” — a flavor beloved in many Asian cuisines.
- Texture: Tender and crisp when fresh.
- Culinary Uses:
- Fresh in salads, spring rolls, and wraps
- Steeped into herbal teas
- Added to soups, stews, and fish dishes for zest and aroma
- Stir-fried with vegetables for an exotic twist
👉 Common in Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cooking, where it’s used as both a herb and garnish.
🌱 Top Benefits & Uses
- Culinary Delight: Adds bold, unique flavors to traditional Asian recipes.
- Medicinal Tradition: Used in herbal medicine for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying properties.
- Garden Beauty: Multicolored leaves (green, cream, red, and pink) create a living mosaic in the garden.
- Groundcover Power: Excellent at quickly filling beds, borders, or problem spots with vibrant foliage.
- Wildlife Appeal: Tiny summer flowers attract pollinators.
🌼 Ornamental & Container Gardening Notes
- Landscape Appeal: Its heart-shaped leaves painted in red, cream, and green make it ideal for ornamental borders, understory beds, or water garden edges.
- Containers: Grows beautifully in pots or tubs — perfect for containing its vigorous spread.
- Indoors: Can be grown inside with bright, indirect light. Adds a tropical vibe to your indoor plant collection.
🌿 Best Practices for Planting & Care
Where to Plant
- Thrives in full sun to part shade, though leaves show stronger variegation in partial sun.
- Adapts to almost any soil — sandy, loamy, or clay — even tolerates wet soils.
Planting Method
- Dig a hole just as deep and slightly wider than the pot.
- Backfill with compost and native soil.
- Use the GreenDreams “High & Tight” method for best success: Planting Video.
Watering
- Keep soil moist, especially during establishment.
- Once rooted, tolerates both wet and drier conditions.
Mulching
- Apply hardwood mulch around the plant (but not directly on stems) to maintain soil health.
Seasonal Care
- In Florida and warm climates: Evergreen year-round.
- In colder climates: Dies back in winter but reliably re-sprouts in spring.
⚠️ Cautions
- Vigorous Spread: Can become invasive if not contained. Best kept in pots or designated groundcover areas.
- Pet Considerations: Safe for most pets, but its strong odor may deter some animals. Dogs may experience mild stomach upset if eaten in large amounts.
🌟 Is This Plant Right for You?
✅ Ideal For:
- Home chefs who love bold, exotic flavors
- Gardeners wanting a colorful groundcover
- Beginner growers looking for a hardy, adaptable plant
- Container gardeners
❌ Not Ideal For:
- Gardeners who want slow-growing, low-spread plants
- Households with pets sensitive to strong-smelling herbs
❓ FAQ
Q: Is the Chameleon Plant invasive?
A: Yes, it spreads quickly in the ground. Grow in containers or controlled beds to manage its vigor.
Q: Can I eat Chameleon Plant leaves raw?
A: Yes! They’re commonly used raw in Asian salads and fresh rolls. The flavor is bold, so start with small amounts.
Q: How cold-hardy is Houttuynia cordata?
A: Very hardy — it survives winters down to -20°F (Zone 4).
Q: Can I grow this indoors?
A: Yes, in a bright window with indirect sun. Keep soil moist for lush foliage.
Q: Does it flower?
A: Yes, in summer it produces small white flowers with yellow centers, adding to its ornamental charm.
📦 Shipping & Handling
- Size: Ships in 4” pot.
- Best Shipping Zones: Ideal for Florida, the Southeast, and Texas.
- We can ship nationwide, but northern and western states may see plants stressed from transit — recovery may take 2–3 weeks.
- Heat/Cold Disclaimer: Please use discretion when ordering in peak heat or freezing conditions. We ship every Monday via UPS Ground from Florida. GreenDreams is not responsible for weather-related transit stress.
🏡 Local Pickup
📍 Available at:
GreenDreams Nursery & Farm
18709 US Hwy. 41, Spring Hill, FL 34610
Open Tues–Fri 9AM–5PM | Sat 8AM–3PM
🌿 Come visit and see what’s fresh!
🛒 Bring Home the Rainbow!
Ready to add flavor, beauty, and resilience to your garden? Order your Chameleon Plant today and transform your space into a colorful, edible oasis! 🌈🌿
IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE PURCHASING LIVE PLANTS:
*Please be advised that our online store selections are NOT available for pickup at our retail location in Spring Hill, Florida.
Inventory for our online store is located at a separate facility and are priced and handled exclusively for packaging & shipping.
Click here to learn more about our Spring Hill, FL retail nursery location, including countless more nursery selections ready for pickup - larger sizes and wider variety of plants not suitable for nationwide delivery.
1. Shipping Stress: Transportation can be stressful for plants, particularly when they spend several days in a confined, dark environment. It’s common for plants to experience leaf drop during this period. Rest assured, most plants typically recover quickly and thrive with minimal aftercare. However, some may need extra attention, love, and care, requiring appropriate watering and exposure to gentle light post-unboxing.
2. Potential Physical Damage: Despite our dedicated efforts to ensure that your plants are securely packaged, they may incur damage during shipping and handling by UPS. Rest assured, our shipping team is committed to packing your selections with utmost care and precision to minimize any potential harm.
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For significant box damage, please reach out to UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
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For minor damages, such as a broken branch or stem, we advise allowing the plant time to recover and regenerate with proper care and attention.
3. Long-Distance Shipping Considerations: Orders shipped over long distances, particularly to the western US, may take 3 - 5 business days to arrive due to various factors, including agricultural inspections in Arizona, California, and Texas. Such extended transit times can be particularly challenging for tender, young plants, affecting their quality due to prolonged confinement.
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We take additional measures during packaging to facilitate a swift recovery of the plants upon unboxing.
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Initial extra care and attention might be required over the first few weeks post-transport.
For further guidance, kindly review our detailed policies on returns and refunds, as well as our comprehensive plant care guide. We appreciate your understanding and patience in nurturing your new plants.
🌿 Important Shipping Information
Please take a moment to review our shipping protocols designed to ensure your plants arrive in optimal condition.
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Countdown Clock: At the top of our online store, you'll notice a countdown clock. This tool helps communicate our weekly shipping schedule, providing clarity on when you can expect your orders to be dispatched.
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Shipping Schedule: Our nursery, located in the heart of Central Florida, ships orders once weekly, every Monday. This is a strategic decision to prevent packages from being stationary over the weekends, ensuring that our plants travel as swiftly as possible across the country, even reaching as far as California.
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Shipping Method: At present, we offer ground shipping rates to meet various needs while maintaining the well-being of our plants during transit.
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Our Dedicated Team: We are a boutique nursery with a passionate team. Our members wear many hats, contributing to shipping, nursery operations, and engaging in valuable local projects. As we blossom and expand, rest assured that enhancing and streamlining our processes remains a priority to serve you better
Terms and Conditions for Purchasing Live Plants
1. Understanding of Shipping Stress
By purchasing live plants from our store, the customer acknowledges that transportation can be stressful for plants. It is common for plants to undergo leaf drop or experience other temporary issues during shipping. However, it is understood that most plants recover quickly with adequate care and attention post-shipping.
2. Awareness of Potential Physical Damage
Customers acknowledge that despite our best efforts in packaging, there may be occurrences of damage during shipping and handling. For substantial damages to the package, customers agree to contact UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
3. Acknowledgement of Long-Distance Shipping Considerations
Customers recognize that shipments, especially those directed to the western US, may be subjected to longer shipping durations of 3-5 business days. Customers agree to provide necessary care to the plants, recognizing that the quality of the plants may be affected due to prolonged shipping times.
4. Agreement with Shipping Information and Schedule
Customers, by making a purchase, have reviewed and agreed upon our shipping protocols and schedules. They acknowledge the presence of a countdown clock on the website and our once-weekly shipping policy every Monday, recognizing the rationale behind avoiding weekend layovers for the plants.
5.Extreme Weather Conditions
Customers acknowledge that our store is not responsible for damage or loss of live plants due to extreme weather conditions during transit and delivery. This includes exposure to cold or freezing temperatures during the winter months and extreme heat during the summer. We provide tracking information when orders are processed every Monday to ensure customers are aware of the delivery schedule. It is the customer's responsibility to prevent packages from being left outside in conditions that may cause damage. Our store does not accept responsibility for any adverse effects caused by weather conditions beyond our control.
6. No Refund Policy
Customers agree that refunds are only processed under exceptional circumstances. Our store will not be held responsible for poor plant choices relative to location suitability, extreme conditions during and/or post-shipment, and improper post-purchase plant care.
7. Responsibility of Care
Upon purchase, customers agree to assume full responsibility for the ongoing care of the plants. This includes, but is not limited to, appropriate watering, exposure to suitable light, and adherence to specific care instructions pertinent to each plant type.
8. Consent
By proceeding with this purchase, customers consent to all the terms and conditions stated above, confirming understanding and agreement to all stipulations mentioned.
These terms and conditions aim to ensure clarity, mutual understanding, and agreement between the seller and the customer to facilitate a smooth transaction and foster a positive customer experience.
