Wild Ginger (Click image to enlarge) 
Wild Ginger Foliage (Click image to enlarge) |
Wild Ginger Asarum canadense Wild Ginger is a spring wildflower with heart-shaped leaves that persist well into late summer and early fall, and sometimes last until replaced by new foliage in the spring. This is not the same species whose roots are sold as a seasoning in grocery stores, but the taste and aroma of wild ginger roots are similar and apparently it is sometimes used as a substitute. This is not a good idea. Wild Ginger contains aristolochic acids, which appear to cause serious health effects. The plants often occur in large, dense ground-hugging colonies consisting of hundreds of plants. The rather small flowers appear relatively early in spring, but are an inconspicuous reddish-brown (see below). They are also quite close to the ground and are usually shaded from direct observation by the foliage overhead. |
