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Asarum caudatum
western wild ginger
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Image © Richie Steffen/Great Plant Picks |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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This Pacific Northwest native is tops for the garden. Its bold, heart-shaped leaves are its main attraction; they are fully evergreen and release a spicy, ginger-and-citrus fragrance when crushed. Asarum caudatum grows as a understory plant in our forests, so it is accustomed to dry, shady locations. It is also adaptable enough to thrive in sites that are wet in winter. Western wild ginger adapts to soils ranging from sandy to clay. Generally it does not need any special care to become established. Great companion plants include hellebores, hostas and ferns. Use it as a groundcover under shade-loving trees and shrubs. Its creeping habit creates a beautiful carpet under low-growing cutleaf Japanese maples. Be sure to peek beneath the foliage in late winter to see the unusual, triangular, rust-brown flowers. This is one of the few wild gingers that shows a fair degree of slug resistance. Where there are high populations of slugs, some slug-control measures are advised. |
| Culture |
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Western wild ginger is an adaptable plant that can be grown in dry or moist locations in shade or part shade. Foliage burns on plants grown in too much sun. Occasional summer watering keeps the foliage looking fresh; plants survive without it, with limp foliage perking up during fall rains. Be patient with newly planted Asarum; as with many perennials, it often takes a year for new plants to settle in and grow much. |
| Growing Habit |
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Western wild ginger is a spreading, rhizomatous, evergreen perennial, ideal as a groundcover. It only grows to 6 to 8 inches high but spreads 12 to 18 inches a year. |
| Hardiness |
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USDA zones 7 to 9 |
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© 2009 Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden