Vietnamese Cilantro/ Rau Ram

Persicaria odorata,

Vietnamese Cilantro, also known as Rau Ram,  is a herb whose leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking. Other names for this herb include Vietnamese mint, Vietnamese cilantro, hot mint, laksa leaf, and praew leaf.  A great addition to any food forest and a fragrant ground cover.  Hardy zone 9-11 as a perennial ground cover. This plant is propagated easily by cuttings. The top of its leaf is dark green, with chestnut-colored spots, while the leaf’s bottom is burgundy red. The stem is jointed at each leaf. In Vietnam, it can be cultivated or found in the wild. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil. For colder climate zones, they should be brought inside for the winter and treated as a house plant. For climate zones that have milder winters, they will survive outside, although their growth may slow down.