With its exotic glossy green serrated-edged leaves, this is a great choice for a shady corner of the garden. The Sweet Tea Vine grows quickly, providing ground cover or scrambling up a wall in no time at all. In summer it has small pale yellow flowers followed by black fruits. Gynostemma pentaphyllum, also known as Jiaogulan, comes from the forests of China where it is used as a medicinal herb. It is a tender plant, best protected from frost, so if possible it should be grown in a container and brought under cover in winter. Height and Spread: Up to 4m (13').