Plant Sale 2025 – Asarum canadense

Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger) is a great groundcover for dappled shade. It likes rich, damp soils and grow from 4 to 12 inches tall with individual leaves reaching three to four inches across. Once established it will spread 6 to 8 inches in all directions yearly, shading out non-native plants.

The interesting maroon to purplish-brown flowers that bloom in spring are often hidden under heart shaped leaves and pollinated by flies and beetles. Ants are attracted to the fleshy material called elaisomes which is rich in lipids and proteins the ants feed to their larvae leaving behind the seeds to germinate. Occasionally Asarum canadense will get damaged by slugs and snails but generally isn’t bothered by disease or animals. It is an alternate host plant for the beautiful Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

Photos: E.M. Truax