Plant Preference/Growing Conditions:

Wild Ginger prefers shady, moist environments, similar to forest floors. It can flourish it partial shade as well, and for soil, it prefers only slightly acidic (pH 6-7).

Growth Habit/Description:

Deciduous, perennial, and ground-covering. Thick layers of wild ginger form around the bases of trees especially. Leaves grow to 4-8 inches tall in full form and have large, heart-shaped leaves. 

Bloom Season:

Small reddish-purple flowers that look similar to spurs bloom for short periods in April, May, and June.

Small brown capsule fruits appear at the same time. 

Fall and/or Winter Interest?

N/A

Host Plant for Caterpillars?

Yes, Wild Ginger is the larval host for Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). It is a butterfly native to the Eastern US, including Arkansas, that has beautiful blue and orange adornments. It is prized as only a handful of plants can support its larvae.

Other Known Ecological Value?

Yes; it attracts butterflies, pollinators, and flies to its small flowers, including the Pipevine Swallowtail. T

Culinary Use: 

The root has many culinary uses, as it is used as a substitute for ginger, partially where its name originates. When ground, it is used as ginger spice, but when soaked in simple syrup or sugar water, the root becomes a sweet candy, and the syrup becomes sweet and gingery. Wild Ginger was used by Native Americans and settlers in this manner. 

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Raleigh (NC): North Carolina State University. Asarum canadense. [Cited 2024, Apr 12]. Available from: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/asarum-canadense/

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database. Austin (TX). Asarum canadense. [Cited 2024, Apr 13]. Available from: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASCA

U.S. Forest Service. Washington (DC). Wild Ginger.  [Cited 2024, Apr 13]. Available from: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/asarum_canadense.shtml

Biota of North America Program. Chapel Hill (NC). Northern American Plant Atlas: Asarum.  [Cited 2024, Apr 12]. Available from: https://bonap.net/Napa/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Asarum

Last edited by Kira Burnett, April 2024.