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Wild Ginger

Photos are representative and may not match your specific variety.

Wild Ginger

Native wildflower

Asarum canadense

  • Partial sun
  • Zones 4–6
  • 60 days to maturity
  • Flowers
  • 8" spacing
  • High water
  • pH 5.5–7
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  • Overview

    A charming woodland groundcover with heart-shaped leaves that forms lush carpets in shaded gardens. This native wildflower produces curious burgundy bell-shaped flowers hidden beneath the foliage in spring, pollinated by ground-dwelling beetles and ants. Its aromatic rhizomes were historically used as a ginger substitute by early settlers.

  • Planting

    Fresh seed sown immediately in fall. Cold stratify for 90+ days. Very slow germination.

  • Growing

    Sun: partial. Water: high. Soil pH: 5.5–7. Space plants 8" apart. Germination: 30-60.

  • Pests & diseases

    Common pests: Slugs, snails occasionally. Common diseases: Root rot only in waterlogged soils.