[6] It is native to the Eastern Himalayas of India (Sikkim and Tripura), Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, through northernmost Myanmar and Thailand, southern China (Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong) to Taiwan in the East.

In China it is cultivated for use in medicine and production of aromatic oil, due to the strong characteristic fragrance of the flowers, said to be reminiscent of jasmine.

[5] It is evergreen in warmer climates, but deciduous in mild winter temperate regions of North America and Europe.

[8] It was introduced in Brazil in the era of slavery, said to have been brought to the country by African slaves who used its leaves as mattresses, and is now considered naturalised in the states of Rio de Janeiro (where it is classed as invasive), Bahia and Espirito Santo.

[14] Additionally, it is invasive in South Africa, where it is a declared weed, and propagation of plant material is considered prohibited.