Western Wild Ginger
Asarum caudatum
Glossy, heart-shaped evergreen leaves form a lush mat in deep shade, hiding curious long-tailed maroon flowers at ground level. The crushed foliage smells of ginger. Like its eastern cousin, the pungent root was historically used as a ginger substitute, but the whole plant contains aristolochic acid, a potent kidney toxin and carcinogen — the FDA has warned against consuming wild ginger in any form. Enjoy this one strictly as a groundcover, not a seasoning.
- Family
- Aristolochiaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 0.25–0.5 ft
- Spacing
- 0.5–1.5 ft apart
- Light
- shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- acidic
- Bloom
- April, May, June, July, August
- Bloom colors
- yellow, green, purple, brown
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- groundcover, container, erosion control, naturalizing
- Native states
- CA, ID, MT, OR, WA