Isodon inflexus

Isodon inflexus is a perennial in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Its native range spans China, Korea, and Japan. It grows in temperate parts of East Asia. In Japan, its range includes Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Chinese records cover several provinces, from Jilin south to Hunan. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. An older name for this species is Ocimum inflexum.

Plants For A Future lists its height as 2 feet [0.6 metres]. The source gives no mature width or growth rate. In Japan, it grows in sparse woods and thickets. These sites lie among hills and mountains across the country. This habitat links it with open woods rather than deep shade. Its flowers contain both male and female organs. The supplied records give no flower colour or bloom season. They also lack details of its leaves, stems, and fruit.

For garden use, it accepts full sun or partial shade. Plants For A Future places it along woodland garden edges. Both sunny margins and sites with dappled shade suit it. It prefers moist soil and accepts sand, loam, or clay. Its stated pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. These soil options allow some choice when selecting a site. British hardiness remains uncertain in the source's cultivation notes. Those notes suggest outdoor survival from its range, not confirmed trials. No firm hardiness zone accompanies that suggestion.

Plants For A Future offers seed guidance but notes limited knowledge. It suggests spring sowing in a cold frame. Cover the seed with only a thin layer of compost. Move seedlings into separate pots once large enough to handle. Keep them in the cold frame through their first winter. The suggested planting time is the spring that follows. Spring division is another possibility, though the source does not confirm success.

The leaves have a recorded use as a cooked food. Plants For A Future gives edibility a low score. It lists no known medicinal uses or other uses. The source reports no known hazards, but that does not establish safety. It flags no weed potential for this species. The supplied evidence names no pests or diseases. It also gives no basis for judging resistance to either.