Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)

	Zone: 4 to 6 Soil: Loam to sand Light: Part shade to shade Bloom colour: Purple brown Bloom period: Late spring Height: 8 - 12 inches Moisture: Medium Attracts: Not assessed Notes: Wild ginger is a classic shade plant with attractive foliage. It is found growing over large parts of Eastern North America in rich woodlands with decent drainage and moist soils. This plant only grows about 8 inches high and about 15 inches wide. Wild ginger is fantastic when grown en masse at the front of a shady border as the distinctive thick kidney shaped leaves remain in good condition throughout the growing season and this plant competes well with weeds. This plant will also tolerate some dryness. The leaves overgrow each other and hide the unusual and beautiful flowers that form underneath. The shape, colour and position of the open flowers suggest that beetles or flies are the most likely pollinators of this plant. The flowers of wild ginger are similar to Dutchman's pipe, to which it is closely related, but it should not be considered as a host plant to the pipevine swallowtail.
The low growth habit of Wild Ginger
Wild ginger has kidney shaped leaves. Non-native species tend have lustrous leaves.
A close up of the reproductive structure
The flowers of Wild Ginger and their close relatives, the Pipevines are split into 3 regular parts, which is unusual.