wild ginger
Asarum canadense
MBG Plant of Merit 2011
USDA zones3 to 7
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size6 to 12 inches tall12 to 18 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Red , green , purple , brown
- Foliage color
- Medium green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is a perennial for ground cover, shade gardens, woodland gardens, and low maintenance borders. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to wet, sandy or loamy soil. Heart-shaped leaves form a dense mat as creeping rhizomes spread, and small brownish-purple flowers hide beneath them in spring. Deer tend to pass it by. Give it room to spread slowly.
Pairs well with Jack in the pulpit, Cinnamon fern, and Annabelle hydrangea.
Native range
Manitoba to North Carolina.