Scientific Name:
Asarum caudatum
Pronunciation:
ah-SAR-um kaw-DAY-tum
Common Name:
western wild ginger
Family Name:
Aristolochiaceae
Plant Type:
Ground cover
Key ID Features:
Evergreen groundcover; leaves release ginger-like aroma when rubbed, shiny, kidney-shaped to rounded, most 4-9cm long x 5-12cm wide, apex obtuse, blade overlapping at bases to cordate, petioles 8-17cm long; flowers usually hidden by leaves, solitary, brownish-purple to greenish-yellow flowers grow on peduncles, 1-5cm long, petals absent, calyx purplish-brown, 3 petal-like, lanceolate ends 3-8cm long, 12 united stamens forming a tube; capsules fleshy, seeds egg-shaped with a prominent fleshy appendage.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
0.1 - 0.2m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
B.C. west of Cascades, U.S. - northwest, U.S. - southwest
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Bog, Humus rich
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Alpine, Ground cover, Group or mass planting, Herb, Medicinal plant, Native planting, Perennial border, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Heavily veined
Surfaces:
Distinctive smell
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Orbicular, Reniform
Apices:
Obtuse
Bases:
Cordate
Margins:
Ciliate, Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Red, Brown
Flower Scent:
Fragrant, Lemony
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jul
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark Morphology:
Exfoliating, Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Brown
Additional Info:
(On older runners)
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes, Runners (or stolons), (Rhizomes edible)
Propagation:
Seed
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Galls, Rust, Slugs or snails (Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
