Orixa japonica Thunb.

A deciduous shrub. It grows 2.4 m tall and is wide spreading. It can spread 3.5 m wide. The leaves are dark green and alternate. The leaves are 12 cm long. The leaves have an aroma. The leaves turn pale yellow in autumn. The flowers are small and have 4 petals. They are cup shaped and green. Male and female flowers are separate but on the same plant. Female flowers are borne singly and male flowers are in small groups. The fruit are brown and have 4 lobes. They are 18 mm across.

It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally in the mountainous regions of China, Korea and Japan. It is fully frost hardy. It needs a well drained fertile soil. It needs an open sunny position. It will tolerate dry conditions. It grows in the shade of broad-leaved deciduous forests between 750-1,300 m altitude in China. It suits hardiness zones 5-9. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

The leaves are eaten cooked.

Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings.