The illustrated growing guide
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Family Aristolochiaceae
Est. zones 3-8
A superb native groundcover for the dry or moist shade under trees — a lush carpet of fuzzy heart-shaped leaves with hidden maroon flowers at soil level (crawling insects pollinate them). The rhizome smells enticingly of ginger and was a traditional flavoring, but it contains aristolochic acid, so today it's best grown for its beauty rather than the spice rack. Deer-resistant and weed-smothering.
Part Shade to Full Shade
Moderate water
Slow-Moderate growth
Deer-resistant
Native to North America
Attracts butterflies
From the print shop
Growing wild ginger? Hang it.
Our Woodland Flowers collection carries wild ginger — Asarum canadense, print Nº 6, “Wild Ginger.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will wild ginger suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what wild ginger actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-8Wild Ginger at a glance
Common wild ginger problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow wild ginger: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate wild ginger
III
The year
What wild ginger asks for, month by month.
The wild ginger year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The wild ginger year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar bloom
- Apr bloom
- May quiet month
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Wild Ginger in the garden system
- Groundcover layer perennial
- Living mulch
What wild ginger is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenRhizome aromatic but contains aristolochic acid — grow as an ornamental groundcover, not for eating
Harvesting & storing wild ginger
Aromatic rhizome (a traditional ginger substitute/flavoring, but see caution).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of wild ginger, ruled as a catalogue.
Best wild ginger varieties & cultivars
Species (A. canadense, deciduous native); European A. europaeum (glossy evergreen)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to wild gingeryet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Wild Ginger questions, answered straight.
Do deer eat wild ginger?
Rarely — wild ginger is considered deer-resistant, which makes it one of the safer unfenced choices in deer country. Hungry deer in a hard winter test every rule, but it's a low-risk pick.
Is wild ginger safe for kids and pets?
Wild Ginger is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: Rhizome aromatic but contains aristolochic acid — grow as an ornamental groundcover, not for eating. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest wild ginger?
Aromatic rhizome (a traditional ginger substitute/flavoring, but see caution).
How do you propagate wild ginger?
Division or seed.
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Elsewhere
Where wild ginger sits in the library.
Bearberry (Kinnikinnick)
Mayapple
Foamflower
Virginia Creeper