Asarum canadense
Table of Contents
Common Name: Wild Ginger
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Tracheophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Order: Piperales |
| Family: Aristolochiaceae |
| Genus: Asarum |
| Species: Asarum canadense |
Conservation Status
Identifying Features
The flowers of wild ginger are 1.5" with 3 pointed lobes that are red-brown in color. They are cup-shaped, downy, and ill-scented. The flowers grow at ground level in the fork of a pair of leaves.
The leaves of this plant are heart-shaped, thick, and downy, and they grow on hairy stalks. The plant can grow to a height of 8".
Habitat & Range
Wild ginger grows in the woods in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Behavior
The fleshy roots of this species have a strong, gingery flavor.
Life Cycle
The flowers bloom from April to May.
This plant is an herbaceous perennial that can form dense colonies on the forest floor.
Featured image by James Dake.
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