:Introduction
Elsholtzia ciliata, commonly known as Vietnamese Balm or kinh giá»›i in Vietnamese is a weed native to Asia, sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. The plant is an erect herb that grows to about 60 cm in height. The leaves are long, stalked, and serrated, and reach 2 to 8.5 cm in length and .8 to 2.5 cm in width. In shape they are ovate to lanceolate, with a gland-dotted underside. Flowers of a purple color bloom in flat spikes in September and October. Seeds propagate within them.
: Details
The plant is native to Asia; however, the exact extent of its original range is unclear. Today it is found throughout Nepal at elevations of 1500 to 3400 m. It is found elsewhere, including through much of India, eastern Asia, and Europe. In modern times it has become popular as an ornamental plant, though first being reported in the Americas as a weed in 1889.