Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Native to rich, deciduous forests in the eastern half of North America,* Wild Ginger naturalizes to create a lush ground cover with velvety, heart-shaped leaves. Historically used as a flavor substitute for culinary ginger, consumption today is ill-advised. The Virginia Native Plant Society selected Wild Ginger as Wildflower of the Year for 2010.
*It is native to DC and common in the DE Piedmont, but rare in its Coastal Plain. It is found primarily in the MD Piedmont and mountains and is present throughout PA except in some central counties. In VA, it is common in the mountains and Piedmont, infrequent in the inner Coastal Plain, and rare in the outer Coastal Plain. In NoVa, the Digital Atlas of the VA Flora does not report it in Arlington County, but the USDA Plants database does. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.
Learn more about Asarum canadense.
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