Asarum

( ASS - uh - rum )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly known as Wild Ginger, this perennial needs partial to full shade and regular to ample amounts of water. These make great groundcovers for shaded garden areas, their foliage contrasting well with other shade-loving plants like ferns. They produce small brown to purple-red flowers that have trailing tails. Roots and leaves have a spicy scent.

Asarum Species and Varietals

The genus Asarum is a member of the plant family Aristolochiaceae and includes just under 65 species. The best growing zones for Asarum depend on the species; for more information, read the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Asarum arifolia (Hexastylis arifolia) (Little Brown Jug)
This species is found in the southeastern United States, and is considered to be a threatened species in Florida. This evergreen plant has no above-ground stems and spreads via underground rhizomes. Leaves are green and heart-shaped. Flowers form one at a time at the end of creeping rhizomes.

Asarum asperum
This species is endemic to Japan, and produces thick evergreen leaves and ground-level maroon flowers in April. These plants are at home on woodland forest floors, and commonly grow beside Ainsliaea cordifolia, to which they bear a foliar resemblance.

Asarum canadense (Canada Wild Ginger, Canadian Snakeroot, Broad-Leaved Asarabacca)
This species is native to eastern North America, and is considered a threatened species in Maine. Iridescent leaves are green, and flowers are tan to purple. Take care when planting this species in your garden, as ingestion of plant parts can cause permanent kidney damage.

Asarum caudatum (British Columbia Wild Ginger, Long-Tailed Wild Ginger)
Grows best in zones 4-6 and 14-24. This native to the West Coast is evergreen where winters are mild. Leaves are dark green and heart-shaped; great as a groundcover and needs little water. If planted in the sun, needs more water. Leaves will emit a ginger smell when rubbed.

Asarum eurooaeum (Asarabacca, European Wild Ginger, Hazelwort, Wild Spikenard)
This creeping evergreen perennial produces glossy green leaves and small purple flowers bloom in late winter and spring. Roots smell of ginger. This species is native to woodland areas in Europe.

Asarum hartwegii (Hartweg's Wild Ginger)
This species is endemic to California, and has a ginger-scented rhizome root. Leaves are veined with cream to white, and flowers have brown to maroon sepals.

Asarum lemmonii (Lemmon's Wild Ginger)
This species is endemic to California, and has a spreading habit, forming dense, green, ground-hugging mats of foliage. Flowers have sepals that are red on the exterior and white on the interior. These flowering plants are at home in the high Sierras.

Asarum marmoratum (Marbled White Ginger)
This species is native to California and Oregon in the Klamath and Cascade mountain ranges. Leaves are hairy and green, and flowers are enclosed within sepals that are dark green-brown on the outside and dark red inside. It is considered an endangered species in Oregon.

Asarum maximum
This interesting species is native to China, and has flowers that smell distinctly of mushrooms. Sepals are white and dark red to black.

Asarum minus (Little Heartleaf, Little Brown Jug)
This low-growing, stemless perennial plant is native to Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It produces flowers protected by white to cream-mottled red sepals that are usually hidden underneath leaf litter in their native habitat. The species was first described by William Ashe in 1897.

Asarum splendens
This native of China has dark green leaves that are heavily marked with silver. Grows vigorously in rich, loose soil and can form huge colonies of plants if left unchecked. Grows best in zones 3-6 and 15-17.

Caring for asarum

These plants can grow in average soil, but prefer rich humusy soil. Can start from divisions or container-grown plants; plant about a foot apart for best coverage. 

Propagation

Problems and Pests

Slugs and snails. 

Gallery

Camellias are great candidates to be grown as container plants on your patio.
A field of thea sinensis
Camellia hiemalis 'Shishi Gashira'

Videos

A video all about growing camellias successfully
Propagating camellias

Resources

The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 172, Asarum
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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