[2] A. japonica is a perennial plant growing to 50–100 cm (20–39 in) in height with thickened roots.

Tiny green flowers bloom from August to September, with inflorescence spikes in axils and at terminals of the stem.

[2][3] Members of the genus Achyranthes in cultivation call for partial shade and rich, deep, well-drained soil, sandy and slightly acid.

It was first reported in Kentucky in the 1980s, and by 2014 it was established in nine states of the Ohio River basin.

[3] As of 2025, the plant has been reported as far west as Missouri, as far south as Georgia, and as far east as Virginia.