# Canadian wild ginger (*Asarum canadense*) Canadian wild ginger is a special plant with heart-shaped leaves and pretty, hidden flowers. It grows close to the ground in shady places, making it a lovely addition to the forest floor. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Canadian wild ginger](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Asarum_canadense.jpg&width=800) Photo: Earthdirt Please attribute work to: Chris S. Packard, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asarum_canadense.jpg) ## Appearance The Canadian wild ginger has distinctive heart-shaped, velvety leaves that grow low to the forest floor. Its unique reddish-brown, bell-shaped flower is often hidden beneath the leaves, appearing solitary at the plant's base. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Piperales - **Family:** Aristolochiaceae - **Genus:** Asarum ## Interesting facts - Indigenous peoples historically used this plant for medicines and as a spice. - It smells like ginger when crushed, but it's not related to the ginger we eat! - Its unique flowers are pollinated by tiny flies and beetles that crawl on the forest floor. - The wild ginger forms dense mats on the forest floor, creating a cozy home for small critters! ## Special abilities - **Underground Explorer:** Canadian wild ginger can spread widely using underground stems called rhizomes, helping it colonize new areas in the forest. - **Ant's Lunchbox:** Its seeds have a fatty attachment that ants love, so they carry the seeds away, helping the plant spread its offspring. - **Ground-Level Attractor:** Canadian wild ginger keeps its flowers close to the ground to attract crawling insects like flies and beetles for pollination. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-20 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Phorid fly (*Megaselia scalaris*) — Attracted to the low-lying flowers - **Symbiotic with:** Allegheny ant (*Aphaenogaster picea*) — Carries seeds for their fatty attachments - **Eaten by:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Feeds on its tender leaves and stems ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't eat any plants unless you know they are safe. Always ask an adult first! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Canadian wild ginger? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Canadian wild ginger? 10-20 cm ### How wide does Canadian wild ginger spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Canadian wild ginger? 2-4 cm ### When does Canadian wild ginger bloom? Spring ### Is Canadian wild ginger edible? No ### Is Canadian wild ginger toxic? Mild ### What is Canadian wild ginger's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Grand Caverns](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grand-caverns) — Virginia, US · Natural Landmark - [Minnesota Landscape Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/minnesota-landscape-arboretum) — Minnesota, US · Botanical Garden - [Newburgh Colored Burial Ground](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/newburgh-colored-burial-ground) — New York, US · Historic District - [Parfrey's Glen State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/parfreys-glen-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [Stockbridge Common Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stockbridge-common-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Cherokee Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cherokee-park) — Kentucky, US · Park [View all places to see Canadian wild ginger](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/canadian-wild-ginger) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Canadian wild ginger: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/canadian-wild-ginger)