Ardisia is a low-growing, shade-tolerant evergreen plant with attractive red berries

Ardisia (Ardisia japonica) is a small evergreen shrub, also known among gardeners as aidicha, pingdimu or laowuda. It grows wild mostly in shady, damp spots such as beneath forest trees and along stream banks south of the Yangtze River basin in China. Its form is low and compact, its foliage stays green all year round, and its fruit turns red in autumn and holds on the branches for a long time. It is a plant that looks good both for its leaves and its berries, and is well suited to being planted in the ground in a courtyard or grown in a pot at home.

In appearance, the leaves of Ardisia are mostly oval, with fine serrated edges and a deep green, glossy color. Each summer it produces small white or slightly pink flowers that are fresh and elegant. After flowering, the round little berries hang in clusters along the branches, gradually turning red in autumn, and the display can last right through to winter, adding plenty of bright color to the bleak season.

As for its uses, Ardisia is fairly shade-tolerant, so it is suitable for planting in spots with little light, such as under trees or beside walls, and works well for covering bare ground. In addition, the whole plant can be used as a medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is commonly known as aidicha, and is mostly used for problems related to cough with excess phlegm; specific use should follow a doctor's advice.

For care, Ardisia likes a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment and dislikes strong direct sun and waterlogged potting soil. Keep the soil slightly moist during the growing season, provide shade and ventilation in summer, and move it somewhere frost-free in winter with reduced watering. It has low fertilizer needs, so a few applications of dilute liquid fertilizer during the peak growing season are enough. Overall it is simple to manage and counts as an easy-care ornamental plant.