Court Jester (Houttuynia variegated) with floating ring

Court Jester is one of the most colourful pond plants you can grow. Its heart-shaped leaves are splashed with green, cream, yellow, pink and red, creating a patchwork of colour that lights up the edge of a pond, water bowl or bog garden.

Also known as Chameleon plant or variegated Houttuynia, Court Jester is a low, spreading perennial that forms a neat mound of foliage. The colours are at their brightest in full sun, and in summer it adds small white flowers to the show. Crush a leaf and you'll notice its distinctive citrus-pepper scent.

Grown in a floating ring

Court Jester is supplied in a 12cm pot set in one of our floating pond rings. The ring holds the plant at the surface so its roots sit in the water while the foliage stays above it, which is exactly how Court Jester likes to grow. Simply float it in your pond or water bowl. No shelves or bricks needed.

The ring also keeps this enthusiastic spreader contained, and helps protect it from fish that like to nibble.

Plant details

• Botanical name: Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon' (variegated)
• Type: Perennial marginal and bog plant
• Position: Full sun to part shade (best colour in full sun)
• Water depth: Wet soil to 2cm over the pot. If planting in a ring, trim back any tall foliage
• Size: Up to 30cm high and 15cm wide in a pot
• Foliage: Grows above the water
• Flowers: Small white flowers in summer
• Origin: East Asia and the Himalayas
• Supplied: 12cm pot with floating ring

Growing tips

• Give it plenty of sun for the strongest pink and red colouring. In heavy shade the leaves turn greener.
• In cooler areas Court Jester dies back over winter and reshoots in spring. Trim off the old growth once new shoots appear.
• Feed in spring and summer with our pond plant fertiliser tablets to keep the foliage lush and colourful.
• It spreads by underground runners, so keep it in its pot or ring rather than planting it straight into garden soil.

Looking for the green form? Try Swamp Pepper (Houttuynia cordata), a hardy edible relative with green leaves and burgundy stems.