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Asarum caudatum
Also called Long Tailed Wild Ginger, Western Wild Ginger, Wild Ginger, Longtail Wild Ginger, British Columbia Wild Ginger
British Columbia wild ginger is a low, rhizome-spreading woodland perennial native to moist, shaded forests of western North America, grown for its heart-shaped leaves and ginger scent. It forms mats in shade and needs cool, moist, humus-rich conditions.
Asarum caudatum (British Columbia wild ginger, western wild ginger, or long-tailed wild ginger) is a plant native to rich moist forests of western North America. It has heart-shaped leaves and a three-lobed purplish flower.
Members of the family Aristolochiaceae contain aristolochic acid, which has been recognized as a carcinogen.
Asarum caudatum is found in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Idaho, and Montana in moist, shaded environments. Its northernmost populations occur near Meziadin Lake. It is a typical herb found in the understory of mixed conifer forests under 670 metres (2,200 ft) in elevation, and is often a dominant plant.
The root is edible in small amounts. Native Americans used the plant for various medicinal purposes.
Canadian wildginger · European wild ginger · Seonun Wild Ginger · Chinese wild ginger · Wild ginger
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Asarum caudatum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
