Wild Ginger

Asarum caudatum

Genera: Evergreen perennial with extensive rhizomes; stems trailing, rooting freely, often forming large mats.

Leaves: Heart to kidney shaped, shiny long-stalked, 2 at each node, 4-10 cm long, to 15 cm wide; leaf stalks and veins finely hairy.

Flowers: Purplish-brown to greenish-yellow, solitary, bell shaped flowers with 3 flaring lobes that taper to long points; often concealed by leaves.

Fruits: Fleshy capsules, seeds several, egg-shaped, with prominent fleshy appendage.

Ecology: Rich bottomlands, moist, shaded forest, frequently in thick leaf mould that partly hides the flowers; common at low to middle elevations.