Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) — Plotwright

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Wild ginger

Habit (mature) · Chris S. Packard (Earthdirt) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5

Limited coverage

Wild ginger

Asarum canadense

A native eastern North American clump-forming deciduous perennial with heart-shaped foliage and hidden ground-level maroon flowers (pollinated by ground-dwelling beetles + flies). Forms dense colonies via rhizomes. Aromatic rhizome was historically used as a ginger substitute by Indigenous peoples + colonial settlers (true ginger is unrelated tropical Zingiber).

Native: 10 US states

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: narrow (34/100)

Filler

Light

Part shade

Water

Consistent moisture

Mature size

4-8" tall · 12" apart

Hardy in zones

4a-6b

very cold to cold winters

Summer heat range

Cool-Mild

cool to mild summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

No

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Native across 10 US states and Canadian provinces — a wide-ranging part of North America's plant communities.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Marginal

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Won't grow here

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

⚠→✕

Marginal today, but likely out of range by 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 26 ecoregions — 11 climate-resilient through 2070 · 15 suited today. Best matches first.

Central Tallgrass prairie

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

Colorado Rockies forests

Nebraska Sand Hills mixed grasslands

Northeastern Coastal Forests

Northeastern Hardwoods

Northern Pacific Alaskan coastal forests

Northern Tallgrass prairie

Sierra Nevada forests

South Central Rockies forests

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Wild ginger (Asarum canadense). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/wild-ginger

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY 2.5

Backs 1 field

Image

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The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.

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