Diaspananthus

More Information About Diaspananthus

The genus Diaspananthus is a monotypic genus of flowering perennials in the aster family. The sole species, Diaspananthus uniflorus, is only found in Japan growing along streams in high mountain forests on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kysushu. The common Japanese name for Diaspananthus is "Kusa-yatsude" which roughly translates as "Yatsude weed" or "Weed that looks like Fatsia japonica".

Diaspananthus uniflorus is the epitome of an esoteric exotic plant as it is rare in nature and difficult to find in the trade. This is surprising because diaspananthus is quite beautiful and also easy to grow. This shade-loving perennial is grown primarily for its attractive lobed leaves (like a minature fatsia or peltoboykinia) and for its spreading, rhizomatous habit. The clusters of small reddish-purple flowers are loosely arrayed on a single stalk during fall and are very cool looking...like little red-purple hypodermic needles with curlicue petals attached. Diaspananthus is a woodland garden plant that normally grows in light to heavy shade. Diaspananthus prefers a well-drained soil (it is a plant used to mountainous terrain after all) but also likes rich moist soil with lots of humus. This plant pairs perfectly with other shade perennials like ferns, tricyrtis, tinantia, and podophyllum. Diaspananthus plants are extremely rare in cultivation and perfect for gardeners looking for a special treat. When you're ready to buy diaspananthus for your perennial garden, we hope you'll check out our online offering of diaspananthus for sale.