Ornamental · Aristolochiaceae
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
A quiet woodland groundcover that asks for shade and steady moisture and little else.
Full shade
Every 3–7 days
USDA 4–6
6–12 in · 15–30 cm
Overview
Wild ginger is a low, spreading native of eastern woodlands, grown for the carpet of hairy, heart-shaped leaves it lays across the shaded forest floor. The name comes from the rhizome, which smells and tastes faintly of ginger, but the plant belongs to the birthwort family and has nothing to do with the ginger in your kitchen. It stays close to the ground, rarely topping 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm).
In spring the plant opens odd little brownish-purple, bell-shaped flowers down at soil level, tucked under the leaves where you have to part the foliage to find them. Ants do the rest of the work, carrying the seeds off to start new patches. Left alone in good ground, a single planting knits slowly into a broad colony.
It earns its place as a shade groundcover rather than a showpiece. Give it the damp, rich, dappled spot where lawn and most flowers sulk, and it fills in season after season. The one firm rule sits apart from how it grows: despite the old practice of drying the root for flavoring, no part of wild ginger is safe to eat.
Care
The short version: full to part shade, rich and humusy soil, and steady moisture all season, since this plant has no tolerance for drought.
Light
Wild ginger is built for full to part shade, the kind of dappled light under a tree canopy. It will take a little morning or partial sun in a moist spot, but strong sun dries it out fast and the leaves suffer for it.
Water
Keep the soil constantly moist, since this plant has poor tolerance for drought. Water through dry spells so the ground never bakes, roughly every 3 to 7 days depending on heat and shade. It even shrugs off the odd wet patch.
Soil
Plant it in rich, humusy ground that holds moisture but still drains, the loose, leaf-fed soil of a woodland floor. It runs from acidic to neutral, happy anywhere from a pH of 4.5 to 7.0.
Temperature
This is a cold-hardy plant that handles winters down to about -29°F (-34°C) and summers up to 84°F (29°C). The deciduous leaves die back on their own in fall and return in spring.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity suits it fine, so there's no number to track. What matters far more is steady moisture at the roots and the cool, sheltered air of a shaded bed.
Feeding
It needs almost no feeding in decent woodland soil. A spring top-dress of leaf mold or compost is all it asks, which feeds the ground slowly and mimics the leaf litter it grows in naturally.
Pruning
There is little to prune. Pull off any tattered or damaged leaves when they bother you, and let the rest die back on its own through fall, since the foliage is deciduous.
Repotting
Wild ginger grows in the ground as a groundcover, not in a pot, so repotting isn't part of the picture. Every few years you can lift and divide an established colony if it crowds itself or thins out in the middle.
Size & spacing
Plants stay low, just 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall, and each one spreads 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm) wide. Space them with that spread in mind and they knit together over time into a continuous mat.
When to plant
Wild ginger settles in best when the soil is cool and damp. Set divisions out in spring or fall, hardy through zones 4 to 6, and the hidden flowers open at ground level in early to mid spring.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring or fall
- Harvest: Brownish-purple bell-shaped flowers in early to mid spring (April-May), hidden at ground level beneath the foliage.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–6
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Wild ginger gives a grower very little trouble. Almost everything that goes wrong traces back to slugs in the damp shade or soil that dried out, and both are easy to read once you know the signs.
The patch wilts, yellows, and starts to fade
Wild ginger has poor drought tolerance, so the first thing to check is dry soil. Plants flag and brown at the leaf edges when they run short of water, and the decline always runs worse in the sunnier, drier corners of a bed. Water deeply to bring the moisture back, mulch with leaf mold to hold it, and move the planting to a shadier, damper spot if the trouble keeps returning.
Fix:
- Water deeply to restore even soil moisture
- Mulch with leaf mold or compost to retain moisture
- Relocate to a shadier, moister site if needed
Ragged holes chewed through the leaves
This is the work of slugs and snails, which feed hardest in damp shade and after rain. Look for slime trails and check under the leaves at night, where they hide. Hand-pick them in the evening, clear away the leaf litter that shelters them, and scatter iron-phosphate bait if the chewing gets out of hand.
Fix:
- Hand-pick slugs and snails in the evening
- Remove leaf litter and debris that shelter them
- Use iron-phosphate slug bait if damage is heavy
A rash or itch after handling the leaves bare-handed
Some people get contact dermatitis from touching the foliage, with redness or itching on the skin that brushed against it. It clears once the exposure stops. Wash the spot with soap and water, and pull on gloves before you handle or divide the plant again.
Fix:
- Wash the affected skin with soap and water
- Wear gloves when handling or dividing the plant
Toxicity
Treat this plant as off the menu for everyone. Every part holds aristolochic acid, a compound that damages the kidneys and is a known carcinogen, so the old habit of using the root as a seasoning is not worth the risk. Keep it from being eaten by people, pets, and grazing animals alike, and wear gloves when you handle the leaves, which can irritate the skin.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Caution
A cat that chews the leaves or roots can drool and develop an upset stomach. The deeper worry is the aristolochic acid every part carries, which damages the kidneys, so keep curious cats away from it.
Dogs Caution
Chewing usually brings on mouth irritation and a queasy stomach in dogs. Because the plant holds aristolochic acid, a known kidney toxin, treat any real mouthful as a reason to call the vet.
Horses Caution
Horses have little reason to graze it in the shade where it grows, but the aristolochic acid in the foliage and roots is hard on the kidneys. Don't let it turn up in pasture or hay.
Rabbits Caution
This is not a green to offer a rabbit. The aristolochic acid that runs through every part is a kidney poison, and even a small nibble is worth avoiding.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep can take in the same kidney-damaging aristolochic acid if they browse the plant. Fence it off from grazing animals and keep it out of cut forage.
Birds Caution
Poultry and other birds should not pick at the leaves or rhizomes, which carry the carcinogenic, kidney-toxic aristolochic acid. There is no safe part for them to eat.
People Caution
Despite the old habit of using it as a seasoning, no part of wild ginger is safe to eat. The aristolochic acid it contains harms the kidneys and is a known human carcinogen, and handling the leaves can also irritate the skin.
Wear gloves when handling, dividing, or pruning to avoid skin irritation, and keep the plant and its roots from being eaten by people or pets.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Wild ginger is grown as the straight species, so there is really one plant to know here.
Asarum canadense (species)
This is the native deciduous species, with hairy, heart-shaped leaves and a brownish-purple, three-lobed bell flower that sits hidden right at ground level.
Companions
Wild ginger pairs naturally with the other plants of the shaded woodland floor, the trilliums, violets, and ferns that want the same damp, rich, dappled ground.
Plant near
Trillium grandiflorum: Shares the same moist, shady woodland niche and naturalizes well alongside wild ginger as a groundcover.
Viola pubescens: A native woodland companion that thrives in the same part-to-full shade and rich soil conditions.
Ferns and woodland wildflowers: Combine well in shade and woodland gardens where wild ginger forms a low groundcover layer.
How to propagate
Wild ginger is simple to multiply once it is established, mostly because it does much of the spreading on its own through creeping rhizomes.
DivisionEasy
Spring or fall · One to two growing seasons
Division is the easiest and most reliable way to make more wild ginger. Lift an established clump in spring or fall, then cut the rhizomes apart so each piece keeps a few growth buds. The new divisions settle in and fill out over the next one to two growing seasons.
LayeringModerate
Growing season · One growing season once rooted
The plant half does this for you. Its creeping rhizomes root as they spread across the ground during the growing season, knitting into wider colonies. Once a stretch has rooted, usually within a single season, you can sever it and lift it as a new plant.
SeedDemanding
Sow fresh seed in summer to fall · Several years to reach groundcover size
Seed is slow and best left to the patient. Sow it fresh from summer into fall, since the seeds carry an oily elaiosome that ants gather and scatter in the wild. Expect several years before a sown patch grows thick enough to read as groundcover.
Myths
Wild ginger is a safe wild substitute for culinary ginger because the root smells and tastes like it.
Asarum canadense has no relation to true ginger and carries aristolochic acid, a documented kidney toxin and known carcinogen. People once dried the root as a seasoning, but that history does not make it safe. No part of the plant should be eaten.