Prefers a light well-drained moderately rich loam in an open sunny position. The plant is not very tolerant of frost, though it can probably be grown successfully in this country as a spring-sown annual. Hybridizes with other members of this genus. The ripe seed is released explosively from the seed capsules. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits. This genus has been singled out as a potential source of latex (for making rubber) for the temperate zone, although no individual species has been singled out.

Tender young leaves and shoots - cooked as a vegetable. A famine food, used when all else fails and I would have to be very desperate to eat it even then.

Seed - sow mid to late spring in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 20°c. It might be best to sow the seed in a cool greenhouse in early March. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant out the seedlings in late May. This will give the plants longer to grow and mature.

Waste places and cultivated fields in lowland Japan. Moist open places at elevations up to 1800 metres in Nepal.