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Houttuynia cordata

Fish mint

Generally recognised as safe

Other names: Chameleon plant, Heartleaf

A moisture-loving East Asian herb with fishy-scented leaves.

A creeping perennial with heart-shaped leaves and small whitish flower spikes on reddish stems; the fresh leaves have a distinctive fishy aroma and are added to salads and soups in Vietnam and southern China.

Family
Saururaceae
Plant type
Perennial herb
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
  • Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
  • Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
  • Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
  • Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
  • Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
  • High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
  • Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Fish mint — plant habitus (Wikimedia Commons).

Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Plant habit

Quick overview

A practical summary; details are in the sections below.

Safety grade
Generally recognised as safe details
Scientific sources on the card
Yes — sources are listed with claims Science section
When and what to harvest
  • Leaf — May–August
Full harvest section
Processing methods

Herbal infusion (tea), Culinary use, Poultice / compress

All methods and recipes on the card
Topics and symptoms

Breathing comfort, Feverish feeling and chills, Healing after procedures (general context)…

Topics section, Symptoms overview

Identification and mix-ups

Low creeping perennial groundcover in Saururaceae, about 20–60 cm, with thin rhizomes. Leaves simple, alternate, heart-shaped (cordate), 4–10 cm, entire, dull green above, pale to purplish beneath. Tiny flowers on a short (about 2 cm) conical greenish spike subtended by 4 white bracts. Strongly aromatic when crushed — a fishy odour (Asian chemotype) or a citrus scent (Japanese chemotype).

Possible mix-ups and risks

No hazardous lookalikes are documented for foraging. The fishy/coriander scent and the 4-bracted spike are diagnostic. The genus has few close culinary lookalikes (H. emeiensis is an obscure Chinese relative, not a forager risk).

Similar herbs

No related herbs are linked yet.

Topics and symptoms

More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.

Sources

Geographic occurrence

  • Viet Nam

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

Harvest

  • LeafMay–August

    summer

    Region: Viet Nam

    Notes: Fresh leaves and young shoots from moist sites.

Storage

  • Drying(Leaf)

    Fresh leaves keep 3–4 days in the fridge in damp paper; dried herb (dokudami) a year in an airtight jar — the fishy smell disappears on drying, leaving a hay-like scent.

    Light:
    Out of light.
    Moisture:
    A moisture-loving plant dries slowly; dry thoroughly.

Processing methods on this herb card

  • Herbal infusion (tea)(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    Infusion or brief extraction in hot water; usually without long boiling.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Here, herbal tea is prepared as an infusion: pour freshly boiling water over dried herbs or a herbal blend and steep for at least 5 minutes. BfR gives this as a hygiene rule, not a medicinal dose. Follow the specific product instructions, including a longer steeping time when stated. This rule for herbal infusions is not a general preparation guide for true tea (Camellia sinensis). Temperature, steep time, and the herb-to-water ratio change both flavour and what dissolves into the liquid.

    Compared with a decoction, heat exposure is shorter and gentler; tender leaves and flowers are often better as an infusion than with prolonged simmering. For each herb, always follow the plant card for suitable plant part, preparation, and safety notes — general rules never replace species-level judgement.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Dokudami tea from dried herb

    About 10 minBeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Culinary use(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    Cooking, baking, seasoning as food — general category without therapeutic claims.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Culinary use covers herbs as ingredients in dishes, drinks, or spice mixes. This overview does not evaluate medicinal effects — only reminds you about species intent, allergies, and heat treatment where needed (e.g. some fruits or plant parts).

    Combining with alcohol, sugar, or long cooking changes outcomes; verify culinary sources.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

  • Poultice / compress(Leaf)Suitability: Medium suitability

    Liquid or paste on the skin, often through a thin cloth.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    A compress applies moist warm or cool material to the skin directly or through fabric. Duration and temperature are key — too hot can burn; too long can macerate the skin.

    Use clean textiles and watch skin reaction during the first minutes.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

Traditional / spiritual use

Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.

  • Dokudami — the herb meant to 'stop poison'

    General

    Traditional useFolk useHerbal lore

    The Japanese name dokudami is read as 'stop poison', and the herb ranks among the juyaku, the 'herb of ten effects', in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia; leaves were laid on boils and festering wounds and every household drank the infusion. In Vietnam the fresh leaves, diep ca, are eaten raw with fish and grilled meat and are meant to 'cool' the body; in China yu xing cao, the 'fish herb', goes into cough preparations. A record of tradition without clinical backing.

    Form:
    dokudami — "poison-countering herb", one of ten Japanese medicinal herbs
    Claim strength:
    Tradition
    Source note:
    Shingnaisui K et al. (2018), J Ethnopharmacol 220:35–43 (ethnobotanical introduction); Japanese Pharmacopoeia (Houttuyniae herba, juyaku).

Scientific notes

Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.

How to read evidence strength and study type labels

Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.

Evidence strength

Evidence level not specified
The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
Narrative / orientational literature
Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
Weak evidence
Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
Preliminary findings
First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
Moderate strength of evidence
Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
Stronger evidence
Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
Review article
A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.

Study type

Narrative / expert text
Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
In vitro study
Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
Animal study
Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
Observational study
Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
Clinical trial
Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
Randomised controlled trial
Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
Review study
A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
Systematic review
Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
Meta-analysis
Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.

Images

The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.

Safety

What the warning types mean

The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.

Internal use
Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
Interactions / medicines
Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
Raw plant parts
Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
Toxins and regulation
Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
Contact with the plant
Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
Allergy
Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
Harvesting and contamination
Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.

No structured safety records yet.