Prefers a cool peaty soil in the bog, woodland garden or a sheltered border in semi-shade. Prefers a loamy or peaty soil and will tolerate a sunny position if the soil is moist but not water-logged and the position is not too exposed. This species requires a warm corner in British gardens. Plants are nearly hardy in Britain, they normally succeed outdoors in the milder areas of the country. They tolerate temperatures down to about -10°c, though the young growth can be damaged by spring frosts. Tubers should be planted about 10cm deep. Only plant out full sized tubers and mulch them with organic matter in the winter. Plants need protection from slugs. Most species in this genus are dioecious, but they are sometimes monoecious and can also change sex from year to year.

Leaves - boiled and used as a vegetable. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame. Stored seed remains viable for at least a year and can be sown in spring in the greenhouse but it will probably require a period of cold stratification. Germination usually takes place in 1 - 6 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least a coupe of years until the corms are more than 20mm in diameter. Plant out into their permanent positions whilst they are dormant. Division of tubers when the plant dies down in late summer.

Damp shady pine and mixed forests, shrubberies and grassy slopes at elevations of 1800 - 3300 metres in the Himalayas.