Parker's Picks — Wild Ginger

Wild ginger (asarum canadense)

This week’s Parker’s Picks Native Plant of the Week can help you tackle one of the garden’s peskiest spots — wet shade.

Wild ginger (asarum canadense) is a low-growing, slow-spreading ground cover that thrives in consistently moist , shady patches. It can form attractive mats of emerald as is spreads via rhizomes in bottomland soil rich with organic material.

It’s lone coppery-purple flower blooms on the underside of the plant near the ground in spring and is thought to be pollinated by flies. According to the USDA Forest Service, this adaptation is thought to take advantage of flies hatching in early spring looking for a dead animal, as the location and color of the flower mimics that of a carcass.

Indigenous people have long used wild ginger medicinally and culinarily. For examples, the Iroquois people traditionally utilized it to treat digestive issues and respiratory ailments. However, moderation is key, as compounds in the plant can be toxic at certain levels.

At a Glance

Name: Wild ginger (asarum canadense)

Height: 6 inches - 1 foot

Width: 6 inches - 1 foot

Flower: inconspicuous, single bell-shaped bloom often tucked among leaves., copper/purple color, early-mid spring

Fruit: ripens in summer

Sun: shade, part shade, dappled sun

Soil: prefers acidic, well-drained soil high in organic matter but adapts to shallow, rocky soil too.

Drainage: moist, wet, well-drained some drought tolerance once firmly established

Parker’s Picks is a recurring feature highlighting some of Masterson’s native plant expert Ken Parker’s favorite tree, shrub and perennial selections indigenous to our area.