Ornamental · Aristolochiaceae
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
An easygoing woodland carpet that's happy with just shade and steady moisture.
Full shade
Every 3–7 days
USDA 4–6
6–12 in · 15–30 cm
Overview
Got a shady, damp patch that won't grow much of anything? Wild ginger might be exactly what it's been waiting for. It's a low, spreading native of eastern woodlands, and folks grow it for the carpet of hairy, heart-shaped leaves it rolls out across the shady ground. The name's a bit of a tease, since the rhizome does smell faintly of ginger, but the plant's actually in the birthwort family and has nothing to do with the ginger in your spice rack. It stays close to the ground too, rarely getting taller than 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm).
In spring it does something sneaky. It opens up little brownish-purple, bell-shaped flowers right down at soil level, hidden under the leaves so you've got to part the foliage to spot them. And the seeds? Ants handle those, hauling them off to start new patches. Leave a planting in decent ground for a while, and it'll slowly knit itself into one big colony.
This one's a shade groundcover through and through, not a plant that's out to steal the show. Give it that damp, rich, dappled corner where the lawn and most flowers just give up, and it'll keep filling in season after season. There's one thing to be dead serious about, though: even though people used to dry the root for flavoring, no part of wild ginger is safe to eat.
Care
The short version: it wants full to part shade, rich humusy soil, and steady moisture all season, since the one thing it really can't handle is drought.
Light
Wild ginger's all about full to part shade, the kind of dappled light you get under a tree. It'll take a bit of morning or partial sun if the soil stays moist, but strong sun dries it out fast and the leaves won't be happy about it.
Water
Keep the soil constantly moist, because drought is really this plant's weak spot. Water it through dry spells so the ground never bakes, roughly every 3 to 7 days depending on how hot and shady it is. And don't stress about the occasional wet patch, it handles those just fine.
Soil
Go for rich, humusy ground that holds moisture but still drains, basically that loose, leafy soil you'd find on a forest floor. It's not fussy about pH either, and it's happy anywhere from 4.5 to 7.0, whether that's acidic or neutral.
Temperature
It's a tough one, shrugging off winters down to about -29°F (-34°C) and summers up to 84°F (29°C). The leaves are deciduous, so they die back on their own in fall and pop back up come spring.
Humidity
There's no humidity number to worry about, since regular outdoor air is plenty. What actually counts is steady moisture at the roots and the cool, sheltered air of a shady bed.
Feeding
You barely have to feed it if the soil's decent. A spring top-dress of leaf mold or compost is all it wants, feeding the ground slowly the same way the leaf litter does out in the woods.
Pruning
There's next to nothing to prune. Just pull off any tattered or damaged leaves when they start bugging you, and let the rest die back on its own through fall, since it's deciduous anyway.
Repotting
Since wild ginger grows in the ground as a groundcover instead of in a pot, repotting isn't really a thing here. Every few years, though, you can lift and divide a colony if it's getting crowded or going thin in the middle.
Size & spacing
These stay nice and low, only 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall, and each one spreads out 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm) wide. Space them with that spread in mind, and before long they'll knit together into one continuous mat.
When to plant
No need to overthink the timing. Pop divisions in the ground in spring or fall while the soil's still cool and damp, know that it's hardy through zones 4 to 6, and keep an eye at ground level in early to mid spring for those hidden flowers.
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
Honestly, wild ginger barely causes any headaches. When something does go wrong, it's almost always slugs enjoying the damp shade or soil that's dried out, and both are easy to figure out once you know the tells.
The whole patch wilting, yellowing, and fading out
Since wild ginger's got poor drought tolerance, dry soil is the first thing to check. When it's short on water, it'll flag and brown along the leaf edges, and you'll notice it's always worse in the sunnier, drier corners. Give it a deep drink to bring the moisture back, mulch with leaf mold to keep it there, and if this keeps happening, just move the whole thing somewhere shadier and damper.
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 right through the leaves
That's the handiwork of slugs and snails, which go to town in damp shade and after it rains. Look for slime trails and check under the leaves after dark, since that's where they're hiding. Pick them off by hand in the evening, clear out the leaf litter that's sheltering them, and if the chewing's really getting out of hand, scatter some iron-phosphate bait.
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
An itchy rash after handling the leaves without gloves
Some folks end up with contact dermatitis after touching the foliage, meaning redness or itching where their skin brushed it. Good news is it clears up once you're away from the plant. Wash the spot with soap and water, and grab some gloves before you handle or divide it next time.
Fix:
- Wash the affected skin with soap and water
- Wear gloves when handling or dividing the plant
Toxicity
Here's the part to take seriously, even with such a mellow plant: nobody should be eating it. Every bit of it holds aristolochic acid, which damages the kidneys and is a known carcinogen, so that old trick of using the root for seasoning just isn't worth it. Keep it away from people, pets, and grazing animals, and throw on some gloves before handling the leaves, since they can irritate your skin.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Caution
If a cat chews on the leaves or roots, it might drool and get a bit of an upset stomach. The bigger worry, though, is the aristolochic acid in every part, which is rough on the kidneys, so it's best to keep nosy cats away from it.
Dogs Caution
A dog that chews on it usually ends up with an irritated mouth and a queasy stomach. And since the plant's got aristolochic acid, a known kidney toxin, treat any real mouthful as a reason to ring the vet.
Horses Caution
Horses don't have much reason to graze it in the shade where it grows, but the aristolochic acid in the leaves and roots is genuinely hard on their kidneys. So don't let it show up in their pasture or hay.
Rabbits Caution
This isn't a green you'd ever want to hand a rabbit. The aristolochic acid running through every part is a kidney poison, so even a little nibble's worth steering clear of.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep can take in that same kidney-damaging aristolochic acid if they browse on it. Fence it off from grazing animals, and keep it out of any cut forage.
Birds Caution
Poultry and other birds shouldn't be picking at the leaves or rhizomes either, since they carry the carcinogenic, kidney-toxic aristolochic acid. There's just no safe part for them to eat.
People Caution
Even with the old habit of using it as a seasoning, no part of wild ginger is safe to eat. The aristolochic acid in it harms the kidneys and is a known human carcinogen, and handling the leaves can irritate your skin too.
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
Nice and simple here, since wild ginger's grown as the plain species. That means there's really just the one plant to get to know.
Asarum canadense (species)
It's the native deciduous species you'll come across, easy to spot by its hairy, heart-shaped leaves and that brownish-purple, three-lobed bell flower tucked right down 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
Want more of it? Once it's settled in, wild ginger's easy to multiply, mostly because it's already busy spreading on its own through those creeping rhizomes.
DivisionEasy
Spring or fall · One to two growing seasons
Division's the easiest and most reliable way to get more wild ginger, no question. Just lift an established clump in spring or fall, then cut the rhizomes apart so each piece keeps a few growth buds. Pop the new divisions back in and they'll settle down and fill out over the next one to two growing seasons.
LayeringModerate
Growing season · One growing season once rooted
Here's the thing, the plant kind of does this one for you. Its creeping rhizomes root as they wander across the ground during the growing season, knitting into wider colonies as they go. Once a stretch has rooted, usually within a single season, you can just snip it off and lift it as a whole new plant.
SeedDemanding
Sow fresh seed in summer to fall · Several years to reach groundcover size
Seed's the slow road, so it's best if you're patient. Sow it fresh from summer into fall, since the seeds come with an oily elaiosome that ants collect and scatter out in the wild. Expect it to take several years before a sown patch gets thick enough to really look like groundcover.
Myths
Wild ginger is a safe wild swap for kitchen ginger since the root smells and tastes like it.
Tempting as that sounds, Asarum canadense isn't related to true ginger at all, and it carries aristolochic acid, a documented kidney toxin and known carcinogen. Sure, people used to dry the root for seasoning, but that bit of history doesn't make it safe. No part of the plant should be eaten.