Wild Ginger, Asarum caudatum

About Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum) 34 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Asarum caudatum (British Columbia wild ginger, Western wild ginger, or long-tailed wild ginger) is native to rich moist forests of western North America from British Columbia to California and as far east as western Montana. Within California it is found primarily along the coast from Santa Cruz County northward. In spring, it develops distinct hirsute (hairy) cup-shaped, brown-purple to green-yellow flowers which terminate in three long gracefully curved lobes, often concealed by leaves. The long rhizomes give rise to persistent reniform (kidney/heart shaped) leaves. Leaves are found in colonies or clusters as the rhizome spreads. The leaves emit a ginger aroma when rubbed.

In the garden this plant must have regular water and virtually no direct sun.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb

Size

1 ft tall

Form

Spreading

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color

Brown, Purple, Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Shade, Part Shade

Moisture

Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / week once established

Nurseries

Carried by 34

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 10° F

Soil Drainage

Medium

Soil Description

Woodland soil with high organic content. Soil PH: 4.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Groundcovers, Deer Resistant

Companion Plants

Use as understory to large trees such as Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Yellow Pine (Pinus ponderosa) and many other trees of northern California. Mix with other shade-loving forest plants such as native ferns, Meadow Rue (Thalictrum fendleri), and Elkclover (Aralia californica)

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Moist places

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 22.8" - 156.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.27" - 5.94", Coldest Month: 37.2" - 50.4", Hottest Month: 55.3" - 72.8", Humidity: 0.01" - 21.72", Elevation: -36" - 5858"

Alternative Names

Common Names: British Columbia Wildginger

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Wild Ginger

Asarum caudatum

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Wild GingerAsarum caudatum

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Wild Ginger

Asarum caudatum