Need a ground cover for a shady, damp spot that is easy to grow? Try Canadian ginger! Here's what to know about this native plant.
How to Grow Canadian Ginger Plants
- Common name: Canadian ginger, Canadian wild ginger, common wild ginger, wild ginger
- Botanical name: Asarum canadense
- Growing zones: 4 to 7
- Light needs: Part to full shade
- Foliage: Greenish-blue, heart-shaped leaves between 3 and 6 inches in length
- Size: 4 to 6 inches tall
Canadian Ginger Benefits for Gardeners
“I need a low-maintenance, low-growing ground cover for a shady bank. Any suggestions?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Helen Buchanan of Centerville, Pennsylvania.
Horticultural expert Melinda Myers says, “Canadian ginger (Asarum canadense) is a shade-tolerant native ground cover that performs best in moist, organic soils. It produces purplish brown flowers at ground level under kidney-shaped leaves that die back in winter.”
If you, like Helen, are looking for a perennial low-maintenance, low-growing ground cover, you might consider giving Canadian ginger a try. It grows best in part to full shade, and in moist, rich soil. It grows in Zones 4 to 7, but it will struggle in times of drought. It’s best to plant it in an area where the soil remains damp.
It can bring in pollinators (flies and beetles), and the pipevine swallowtail uses it as a host plant. It tolerates deer, who largely avoid — but might lightly browse — its leaves.
Canadian ginger doesn’t grow tall: it only reaches up to about 6 inches in height. That said, it would be an excellent addition to a rain garden, a native plant garden, or a shady border.
Similar Plants
Melinda says, “European wild ginger (Asarum europeum) is evergreen, spreads slowly and prefers moist, well-draining soil and shade. Golden groundsel (Packera aurea), another native shade-tolerant perennial, has showy yellow flowers early in the season. It prefers moist soil but is fairly drought tolerant once it’s established.
Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) tolerates dry shade once it’s established and provides multiple seasons of beauty. Its flowers appear as the leaves emerge in early spring. The emerging leaves have a red tinge, turning green for summer then red in the fall. They are evergreen in milder climates and semi-evergreen in colder regions.”
Is Canadian Ginger Edible?
While Canadian ginger may sound like something you’d find in your spice rack, experts don’t advise eating this plant. The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that scientists have determined these plants may contain poisonous compounds. As such, consumption is highly discouraged.
That said, there are plenty of plants you can add to your garden that you can eat, too! Check out a list of this list of edible flowering plants for home cooks to grow.
About the Expert
Melinda Myers is the official gardening expert for Birds & Blooms. She is a TV/radio host, author and columnist who has written more than 20 gardening books. Melinda earned a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Sources
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, “Asarum canadense“
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, “Asarum canadense“
