When I looked Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Variegatum' up on the Internet I got the impression that it's a tropical plant. But when I look at the leaves, it reminds me very much of Aegopodium podagraria (q.v. - also try Google Images). Our next door neighbours have a bed of Aegopodium podagraria growing on the north side of their house & I think it looks very handsome & have persuaded them to give me a few clumps. Since then, several people have warned me that it spreads rather vigorously & that I'll never get rid of it, but it looks so nice that I'm going to persist with it.....

Thanks for your reply to my request Herb. I've been looking on Google, and asking for translation of these ?????? sites, in Japanese. Though some of the information comes across as, hmmm, let's call it poetical rather than literal translation, I think that the following is accurate.

Leucosceptrum japonicum is called celestial grass, as the Japanese character for its name looks like the Chinese character with that meaning. It is a herbaceous plant with a woody sub-base that can reach 100 cm. tall Celestial grass grows at the edges of deciduous woodland, and has a bottlebrush-like flower spike in October.

And now that we've gotten some rain here in New Jersey (the first since May 3rd) I feel happier about planting it into the garden, now that I have a better idea of where it should go / what it likes for growing conditions.

What I don't understand is something that was translated on multiple sites as "ti Soviet course." Any ideas?

Aegopodium podagraria on the other hand, common name bishop's goutweed, is a plant with territorial ambitions. It is a handsome plant, but can be very difficult to evict from the garden once it has settled in.

happy gardening from
Into the Woods

My guess is that "ti Soviet course" is an attempted translation from the Japanese plus a mis-spelling. Maybe the original was an attribution of the pictures to a Russian source?

Leucosceptrum IS in Owhi's "Flora". My eyes must have been glazed over with excitement at obtaining the plant. It is not, however, listed in Ran Levy-Yaamamori and Gerard Taaffe's "Garden Plants of Japan."

Asiatica has a photo of it. I purchased a plant a couple of years ago at a nursery in Lancaster County, PA

Here is a link that might be useful: variegated Leucosceptrum

I have and am growing very successfully in Zone 6b, mid-border. Extremely handsome 3-season structural shrub. Blooms late August early September, though the yellow flowers are relatively insignificant. 36" tall and wide. Purchased from Blanchette's in Carlisle, MA, before they closed. Long to obtain additional stock; meanwhile, will propagate. Does anyone have a source?