Asarum canadense
Wild Ginger
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Wild ginger is a low-growing woodland plant. A perfect ground cover for your shady yard or garden.
Description:
Wild ginger is a low-growing woodland plant. Its deciduous green foliage hides its inconspicuous, yet uniquely-shaped purplish-brown flowers that bloom in April and May. It spreads through underground rhizomes, making it an excellent groundcover in shady areas of your yard, or under the boughs of large trees. Plant Wild Ginger along woodland edges, or in your native plant garden with spring ephemerals such as Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), or Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). Mulch your plants with leaves in the fall and winter to provide an organically rich substrate and to keep the soil moist. The seeds are dispersed predominantly by ants. Wild ginger is considered “edible” and “medicinal” by many sources, however, further research is reccommended prior to consumption.
Wildlife Value: Wild Ginger is a host plant for the caterpillars of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly (Battus philenor).
Plant Details:
Other Common Names: Canadian Wild Ginger
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial, Groundcover
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer
Bloom Colors: Red
Deer Resistance: Some
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Butterflies
Salt Tolerance: Unknown
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Soil pH: Neutral, Slightly Alkaline, Alkaline
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Partial Shade
Light Range: Partial Shade, Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Drought Tolerance: Low
Size and Growth Rate
Height: .50 - 1 ft
Spread: 1 - 1.50 ft