Asarum caudatum

Western Wild Ginger Aristolochiaceae

A superb evergreen woodland groundcover with foliage that looks rather innocent until you bruise it — when the unmistakable spicy scent of ginger suddenly gives the game away. Asarum caudatum forms slowly spreading carpets of glossy, heart-shaped leaves from creeping rhizomes, beneath which sit its wonderfully peculiar, three-lobed flowers in brownish-purple to greenish-yellow. The long, thread-like sepal tips explain caudatum, meaning “tailed”. It is a genuine and currently accepted species, first described by John Lindley in 1831 in Edwards’s Botanical Register. 

Its natural range extends from central British Columbia south to central California, occurring principally in cool, moist coniferous forests, often in rich, organic, slightly acidic soils. In cultivation it is happiest in partial to full shade with moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil, where it makes an excellent long-term woodland carpet. 

Its ethnobotanical history is particularly interesting. Indigenous peoples of western North America used the aromatic plant traditionally for a variety of ailments, including headache, indigestion, intestinal and knee pain, colic and as a general tonic. The rhizomes are strongly aromatic and have sometimes been used in traditional preparations. However, Asarum belongs to Aristolochiaceae and the plant should not be treated as a culinary ginger or recommended for medicinal self-use; modern horticultural references classify it as potentially toxic if eaten. 

An excellent choice for the woodland gardener who likes their groundcovers evergreen, well behaved and slightly peculiar.

Height: 10–25cm
Spread: 50–100cm
Flowering: April–July
Hardiness: H6 (-20 to -15°C)
Best conditions: Partial to full shade; moist, humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to acidic soil.